Sovereign of the Spirit
by Bastion05
Summary: When an evil Senshi from a parallel dimension enters their realm, Pluto must decide whether to awaken the Sovereign of the Spirit.
1. The Child that Revolted against the Star

So I decided to try my hand at a Sailor Moon fandom cliché. For those of you unfamiliar with the term 'Otaku Senshi,' it's basically where a fan author or artist creates their own Senshi and drops them in the Sailor Moon universe.

Thus I asked my good friend and wonderful artist, Setsu-P, if she had any lying about and so we have the premise of this story. Most of the characters were originally conceived and drawn by Setsu-P, who has I given me her enthusiastic expressed permission to write the story of her Otaku Senshi.

For art and extensive background on all the major players in this story please check it out:

www. iguananet. us/rmwerx/DS/

Comments&Critiques are very welcome. Remember it's your comments that keep me coming back with more.

Now, I'd like to dedicate this to all the infamous Otaku Senshi writers, most especially the one who spurred me.

Terry Ladan, eat your heart out.

++++++++++++++++  
Sovereign of the Spirit  
Writer: Bastion

Editor: Setsu-P

* * *

Chapter 1: The Child that Revolted against the Stars

* * *

"Do you believe wishes come true, Miss Meiou?"

Across the table, his companion stared at her wine glass and stated flippantly,  
"No."

Her associate grinned. "Come on, Miss Meiou, you can't be that devoid of romance."

Swirling her glass, the woman raised her scarlet eyes from the twisting crimson of her drink. These business meals usually deteriorated into philosophical debates after a dose or two of  
alcohol. "Surprisingly, time has not permitted me the opportunity to ponder whether or not I am."

The man's laugh hummed smoothly within their booth as he ruffled his blonde hair with one effeminate hand. Only its echoes from the window revealed the embarrassment hidden within.

"I'm sorry, Miss Meiou, I had no idea running this corporation was that tedious. I know getting designers to commit and even getting the models to wear the clothes they make are a task in and of themselves."

The woman tossed her long green hair over her shoulder, taking a moment to look out the window of the restaurant. The clear night sky could be seen unadulterated by the tall, cold  
structures that populated Tokyo. Studying the alignment of the stars, she noted their formation. It was almost time. The stars had never failed her with their prophecies.

"I mean, every once in awhile, when you're awake in bed, you wonder about such things? Surely then, you have time to think, Miss Meiou?"

"Sometimes I have." The night sky pervaded her memories of the times in darkness. Sometimes it was all she had when she wasn't in the real world. She stared at her reflection. Her own face  
seemed to be engulfed in the darkness of her deep green hair and black dress. "I wonder sometimes if I am nothing more than a shadow. Just a faceless, minuscule component of the universe."

Reaching across the table, the blonde man gently squeezed her hand. "Don't be depressed, Setsuna. You're not insignificant."

She slid her hand away from her companion's and held her wine glass between their faces. "I am very insignificant in the workings of the universe."

He retreated back into his chair. "So what, enjoy life for what it is, then. Screw the universe!"

"I'm afraid I can't. As long as I have a duty to fulfill, I cannot turn my back on my responsibilities."

The blonde man was once again ruffling his curly hair when a flash in the sky outside caught his attention. "It's a shooting star." He paused a moment before wistfully adding, "I take it you won't  
be making a wish?"

Setsuna gazed at the streak as it vanished toward the sea on the horizon, its brightness seeming to defy the traditional glow of any typical shooting star. The stars never prophesied incorrectly;  
one of their own had finally revolted. It had begun. The poor child had arrived to receive her ill-fated destiny.

"No." Resting her chin on her hand, she continued her leisurely regard of the cold world outside the window. "I'll be praying."

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The dream always started out the same.

_She would be kneeling next to a dry lake, trying to fill it with her tears. Dirt tarnished her creamy emerald dress and the air smelled of blood. Cities in the distance crumbled and burned. She heard no screaming; only the wind would speak to her._

_Then the man in deep green cloak appeared. He held a gnarled staff adorned with a living heart, from which light would flash like blood with every beat. He nodded to her and offered her his hand. She would always shake away her tears and take it._

_They flew high into sparse, icy clouds until a door emerged before them. The cloaked stranger obliged her and opened it, inviting her through. Many smiling faces received her on the other side. A celebration was in full swing with lots of cheering and toasts in her honor, but the glowing faces  
seldom changed in the darkness of the boundless room and the cheers sounded muffled in her ears. One merry pale-faced individual threw a crown on her head that threatened to slip into her eyes. Another thrust a party favor resembling a scepter into her hand._

_"What's happening?" She'd say while she wrung the soiled hem of her dress._

_From the dense mass of bodies, hands would latch onto her. They would pull and tug on her dress, ripping at her skirts and then her girdle. She always fought to keep her chemise on, refusing to have that last shred of dignity stripped from her. Just when she felt it begin to tear away, she screamed._

_Without warning, her scream would silence the sounds and the crowd would part, clearing a path to a large round table. As she neared the table, a light at the other end would slowly intensify, the figures flanking it obscured in the glare. She would finally reach the table and would try in vain to shade her eyes from the blinding brilliance._

_"AS A TRAITOR TO OUR CAUSE, YOU SHALL BE BANISHED!" The light boomed._

_"But what did I-" She would protest._

_"YOUR RESISTANCE TO OUR QUESTIONS IS EVIDENCE ENOUGH OF YOUR TREACHERY!" All the faceless figures nodded in approval, and the light exploded, throwing her across the hall to slam into the door._

_She could feel ice crawling up her legs. Desperately, her eyes would search out the cloaked stranger who had so benevolently brought her to this. Always he would stand by and watch her as the icy fingers inexorably crept further up her body. When whimpering and pleading failed to coax him into action, she would always resort to screaming insults at him._

And she would always wake up when the ice reached into her open mouth and down her throat.

She took another sip of her herbal tea and tried to decipher the meaning of these dreams. It had become a bit of a pastime since she'd been pulled from Tokyo Harbor one cold autumn night, with no recollection of how she got there or where she'd been previously.

The authorities had told her she matched the description of a missing person named Isisu Saito, but they had very little record of her existence, except for the name of one surviving family member in Tokyo. This relative, Setsuna Meiou, would only tell her that they had only just met before the disappearance which Isisu herself didn't even remember.

This all disappointed her somewhat. Without any memories, she felt like an empty vessel, though if they never returned, she could always get new ones. There were new memories each day when she awoke. But these dreams would always haunt her, teasing her about a past she couldn't remember.

Isisu took another sip of her tea and gazed out of the window of the cafe. A sea of pale faces greeted her from the street as people shuffled their way down the narrow sidewalk. Tired faces, happy faces, old, young; all of them different and yet appearing to her as one solid, nameless mass of humanity, in which she herself stood out, if only because of her darker skin. It occurred to her suddenly that her tanned skin made her feel more like a shadow when she moved through the crowds in Tokyo than anything else.

"Something easily forgotten," she murmured.

Suddenly a particular pale face framed in golden curls poked out from the crowd and smiled at her. For a moment, the familiar face disappeared into the mass, and then those curls reappeared through the door of the cafe.

"Hi-hi, Isisu." The new arrival chirped brightly, one thin porcelain hand emerging from a soft black shirtsleeve to wave to her. "How's my fashion model doing today?"

Isisu set her cup down, contemplated a moment, and spoke. "I woke up this morning and bathed, then put on the clothes next to the dresser I had laid out the night before-"

"What I mean is, Isisu," the blond smiled, "did you make it to the photo shoot with Ms. Itabashi Saki okay?"

Isisu blinked. "Yes, I met with Ms. Saki at the appointed time and did the shoot."

"That's good." Her friend winked before stopping a waitress to order himself some coffee. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."

"Not too long." She drew out the last of her sentence as she glanced again towards the crowd outside, and then over at her companion, who was now tapping his fingers on the table and eyeing her expectantly. "Is there something troubling you, Ken?"

Ken grinned and poked his hand out of his sleeve once again to run it through his blond curls. "Oh, nothing. Just, um, how's Miss Meiou?"

"I do not know." Isisu tilted her head. "I have had very little contact with my cousin since she left me in your charge."

Internally grimacing, the blond remembered his last fateful meeting with his employer. She had told him, with great severity, that he was responsible for getting Isisu modeling jobs. *Tasteful* ones, she had warned. From the few times he had had the pleasure of speaking with the mysterious Miss Meiou, he knew that when she made a request, they were done within a heartbeat. Ideally, they would already have been done.

"Er, well, I was just wondering."

Ken gazed at the pale-haired woman seated across from him. Unfortunately, Isisu presented several obstacles. First, though she fit the model figure to near perfection - thin, tall, and very leggy - she was very tan, which made it hard to get a tasteful modeling job for her in Japan. He'd tried on several occasions to pass her off as Indian, pointing out the gold bindi she always sported, but nobody seemed to buy his excuses. Then there were her eyes. It was creepy until you got used to it, Ken thought to himself, the way that level stare of hers seemed so blank, but you knew she was watching you. Isisu had told him that she had some condition that made her pupils appear as pale as the irises. Combined with her aloof nature, it made talking to her all that much more difficult, which made his job that much harder. If a model could freak out the clients as she was, no amount of airbrushing could help her to the cover of a magazine.

Isisu took another sip of her tea as Ken looked at those downcast, misty red eyes. Fortunately, most of these problems were taken care of easily enough. With a few pair of contact lenses and a  
little Meiou Corporation clout, he'd managed to get enough respectable jobs to help the poor girl get back on her feet. In fact, that distant personality of hers made her very popular with the photographers, since she complained little, if at all. However, finding *respectable* jobs for Isisu still took considerable effort.

It amazed him how striking the strong family resemblance was between Miss Meiou and Isisu. Musing further, Ken thought they could be mistaken for twins - in a purely photonegative sense,  
of course.

Isisu once again raised her cup and Ken observed her very purposeful movements. _'It's like a ritual with her,'_ he thought, _'the formal grasp on the teacup and those calculated sips.'_

"Ya know," Ken fanned his fingers at Isisu, "you drink your tea just like Miss Meiou does."

Before Isisu could put her cup down to adequately reply, Ken continued, brimming with excitement at his new discovery. "Maybe it's a side effect to your amnesia. Maybe you're trying to  
emulate Miss Meiou, since she's so close to you."

Ken's mind began to reel. She could be easily molded into the next Setsuna Meiou. Maybe Miss Meiou was grooming Isisu to run the Meiou Corporation. The seed of endless possibilities for  
Isisu grew in Ken's mind. So ... fascinating.

A coffee cup landed in front of him, breaking his train of thought. Blinking, Ken nodded and thanked the bowing waitress.

"But I have never seen Setsuna drink her tea before. I have only met her on three occasions. The first time was when I was introduced to you at her office, and I do not remember Setsuna drinking anything that day, though she did have a cup on her desk. The second time we were to discuss my living arrangements. She had offered for me to live with her, but I turned her down, told her I was going to live in my own apartment, and she-"

"Okay, Isisu." Ken shook both hands loose from his sleeves to rub his temples. "I get the point."

His eyes zeroed in on the face of the watch that clung loosely to his wrist by thin leather straps. "Whoa, I had no idea it was that late," Ken flung his coffee cup to his mouth, finishing it in one swig before continuing, "I have an appointment early tomorrow morning."

Ken jettisoned himself from the booth while his tall, tanned partner calmly set down her cup and lifted herself from her seat. "Do you want me to accompany back to your apartment?"

"Er," Ken's cheeks began to warm. _'What brought this on?'_ he wondered. Was it the new cologne? "I suppose. My apartment's a bit of a mess though, if you don't mind."

The woman's long, pale hair swayed as she tilted her head, looking at her blond friend curiously. "Why would I be inside your apartment?"

Ken slouched forward and his loose black shirt billowed outwards, making him look like he'd just eaten his fill of crow, which was incidentally exactly how he felt. Without another word, Ken placed a few yen on their table before proceeding out to the street.

As he held the door for Isisu and then followed her out onto the sidewalk, Ken looked back over his shoulder at Ben's Cafe. The place had a very ambient atmosphere and American style, "a New York flavor", one person had told him. Heck, they even hosted little mini English lessons every so often.

He could escape here. Every time he entered these doors he wasn't in the crowded and busy Tokyo crammed in subway cars with total strangers. When he was in that cafe, he was free and could spread his wings out and soar to places like the United States or even France. Hell, all of Europe. But his fantasy would always end when he returned to these crowded streets.

Ken glanced over at the pale-haired woman walking beside him with deliberate steps. Isisu didn't seem to share the same kind of enthusiasm he had hoped for when he'd first suggested Ben's as a meeting place. He had hoped she would feel the same kind of longing to just get away from this damn city, but she'd just shrugged as though it didn't matter one way or the other. Ken chalked up his disappointment to being naive.

The blond slouched even more; lips pursed, and glanced again at Isisu. Keeping her steps in time with an unheard beat, she stared straight ahead, looking at nothing in particular. She didn't even seem to take notice of Ken's now open stare. Ken turned his head forward again and his eyes glazed over, gazing off into the distance.

Both traveled in silence for several blocks until they reached Ken's apartment building. As Ken approached the entrance, he noticed Isisu had stopped.

"What is it, Isisu?" Ken could barely make her out in the waning sunlight. Only her hair stood out, and her dark skin and brown dress suit seemed to fade into the darkness.

"Would you like me to escort you to your apartment?" Isisu stiffly motioned her hand towards the entrance.

Ken sighed to himself. "If you want to. It's fine by me."

"Very well." Isisu nodded in affirmation and followed Ken inside.

Ken's mind reeled. What was Isisu trying to pull here? Had he managed to melt that frigid façade? _'…Is she a fox in bed?'_ Ken shook his head, trying to rattle those thoughts out. No, no, _no_. Hardly. He could only see Isisu as an acquaintance. Besides that, what would Miss Meiou do to him?

Despite all this, Ken's cheeks grew hotter and hotter. His kettle was just about to whistle when they reached his apartment. With a shaking hand, Ken whipped out his keys and unlocked the door.

Ken stood at the threshold and slowly brought his eyes up towards Isisu's, hoping to read what her next move would be. Then he waited.

Finally, Ken slapped his thighs to break the silence.  
"Soooooo..."

Isisu just tilted her head once again and returned Ken's stare.  
"Yes?"

Immediately, Ken looked down at his fingers, clasped together in front of his waist. "Er, thanks. For keeping me company."

"I am glad to have fulfilled your request."

Ken tried his best to hide the shy smile coming across his reddened cheeks. "Heh. Well, ya know, er, I was, uh," he stammered, "wondering if you wouldn't mind, um, joining me..."

His voice trailed off as he became acutely aware of Isisu's absence. "Er.."

Feeling the burden of yet another lost opportunity, Ken leaned his heavy head against the door...

*THUD!*

Without realizing he had just opened it.

"Ahhh, hell." He grumbled.

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_'What a dull place'_, she thought. Tall buildings with flat, boring faces; even the waning sunlight with its dazzling mixes of red and orange couldn't bring some fleeting personality to them. And the glittery signs that clung to their sides, competing for her attention, also failed to impress her with their flaming messages.  
Just mere illusions, they all were.

These buildings tried so blatantly to belittle her. She sniffed indignantly. Only the monolithic Cathedral back home, with its smooth black surface, achieved a greater level of intimidation. Yet these giants were not only cold, but also unfeeling.

An incredible urge overcame her to topple them over, in defiance of their arrogance. To show those unfeeling structures pain. She scowled and wrapped her cloak tighter across her body to conceal the fuku underneath. She knew when she came here she faced long odds. She may be out-numbered, but she craved the thrill of the battle. Actually, the possibility of being welcomed by some brave fool the moment she arrived filled her with excitement.

However, no brave fool came. In fact, the entire time she had been here she hadn't any kind of resistance, leaving her craving for chaos unsatisfied.

She loved the destruction and chaos of battle, and her craving for it was boundless. The satisfaction she gleaned from the smell of burning flesh and the screams of the suffering was only all too brief. That alone had probably made her ideal for this mission - to find this Sovereign Seth desired so much.

Not even Sailor Hermes dared to challenge her for it, though she wouldn't hesitate one moment to kill her just to improve her standing with Seth. Nothing new there.

Her eyes darted from one cheery face to another. These people offered her no challenge. Any of them could be the Sovereign of the Spirit. In fact, she didn't even have slightest clue what the wench looked like. She continued to walk alongside a paved road crammed with motor vehicles whining to be free of their concrete trap.

Everything was so organized. Lights turned green, klaxons sounded at regular intervals; the people moved, herding themselves according to the commands of various machines. She wanted to scream as an unbearable tingling spread all over her body.

_'This is what happens when there is no strife.'_ Her demeanor grew darker. _'Everyone takes for granted the value of their own individualism. They don't have to struggle, to scrape out an existence day in and day out.'_

None of these people knew what tragedy was like. None of them had that certain fire within themselves, like those of Canyon's Edge.

Then her scowl slowly creased upwards. Perhaps she should give them a dose. Besides, how was she supposed to get the Sovereign's attention if she didn't stir things up a little?

Maneuvering through the crowded streets, she came to a fancy-looking tavern. Yes, this would be a great place to start. She loosened her cloak and proceeded inside.

A conservatively-dressed auburn-haired barmaid greeted her. "Hi hi! Welcome to Ben's Cafe. May I help you?"

Smiling politely, the woman pulled her jet-black hair behind her ear and replied, "Yes, you may."

Her smile vanished and she lashed out at the barmaid, grabbing a handful of her brown hair. She yanked the young girl's head back and growled at her. "You can scream for me."

Dragging the girl with her, the woman paced around the front of the cafe to address her captive audience. "As for the rest of you-"

Before she could finish, a hand gripped her wrist and squeezed, trying to make her relinquish the handful of hair. "That's enough, miss."

The dark-haired angel of death twisted her head. _'Finally a brave soul'_, she snorted to herself. "I'm just getting started; however, I think you've had enough."

With the swift reply of a fist to the man's abdomen, she jarred his grip loose and sent him flying. The craving subsided, but she needed more. A lot more.

Turning, she sized up her challenger. She quickly realized the fool hadn't bothered to wear any armor; he instead wore the same flimsy outfit as the whimpering barmaid. Even tied his long  
hair in a ponytail like the barmaid's. She'd never known men of such light masculinity to be this brave.

However, her musings would have to wait until after she'd turned this group of disbelievers into martyrs. "As I was saying, the rest of you will learn a lesson about pain."

The dark-haired woman paced in front of her congregation with the barmaid close behind, yelping every time the handful of hair tethering her to her captor was pulled.

"Strife."

Jerk.

"Death."

Jerk.

"And suffering."

She turned once again toward her brave fool, who was just now getting back to his feet. He froze as her sights zeroed in on him. "A lesson that I shall teach to each of you personally."

His limbs stiffened and his mouth went dry when she leveled her finger at him. "And you shall be my first pupil."

"STRAFE SPEAR!" Suddenly, a narrow stream of fire blazed forth from her fingertip. The flames roared and snaked around the cafe, scorching a path toward their prey.

The doomed man's instincts finally went to flight and he bolted for the exit. Unfortunately, the flame's tenacious pursuit could not be evaded as it twisted wildly after its victim. Eventually, the panic-driven speed of the waiter's legs could no longer outrun the streaking flame.

The resulting impact hurled the man through the tavern's glass window and into the packed crowd on the sidewalk outside. The woman smiled to herself as the melodic screams rose into the air, momentarily mesmerized by the glow of the burning corpse. The sparkle of the flame was much more satisfying than those flashing signs outside. She would have to show them all the beauty of a true inferno.

The woman then waved her finger around the cafe, enveloping it in the cleansing flames. The patrons' shocked paralysis finally broke; people made mad dashes for their lives. The woman, now baring her teeth in a ferocious, mad smile, obliged most of them with a fiery good-bye. She drew a deep breath as the last of her victims fell, and basked in the luminance. The smoke, the intense heat, the smell of burning flesh, and the sparkling embers of the cafe excited her senses. Exhilarating, to say the least. The reds, yellows, and oranges of the flames twined all around her in an unparalleled ballet of destruction.

Soft sobs interrupted her reverie, reminding her of the barmaid still in her clutches. The woman looked down at the girl kneeling next to her, covering her face and crying. With a hearty tug she leaned in close and whispered in the girl's ear.

"And you, my fine pupil," the woman's silhouetted smile contorted in the chaotic flickering of the flames, "have learned the last lesson."

As pieces of the roof fell around them, the woman pulled the barmaid to her feet, her whispers barely audible over the roaring fires. "You have learned of the horror of witnessing the deaths of others, some of whom were probably your friends, or perhaps would have been, in time. But never forget what you've seen today, and remember that peace is but an illusion. Chaos will _always_ have its due."

The barmaid's lips quivered and tears streamed from her brown eyes while the woman removed some of her black hair from her own face and placed her finger almost gently on the girl's temple. "On second thought, maybe you should just take that lesson with you into the afterlife."

The woman watched the girl closing her eyes; perhaps praying silently. She remembered she too had done the same, long ago and under the same circumstances, but she had learned then that it was a futile practice.

"Good-bye." She prepared to put the girl out of her misery.

Suddenly, she found herself staring at the end of a staff encasing a glowing red orb. The dark-haired woman tilted her head upwards to meet the scarlet eyes of the staff's owner.

The stranger spoke evenly, fixing the other with a stern expression. "All things will end, but not today."

Lowering her hand from the girl's temple and letting go of her hair, the woman smirked, not breaking eye contact with her new opponent. "Perhaps Chaos will have to wait another day for you, child."

Scrabbling backwards, the girl looked between them for a moment and then scurried out of sight. The two remained still while the cafe crumbled around them.

The woman quickly assessed her new rival, immediately taking notice of the stranger's white bodice and black bow, as well as her golden tiara. The stranger's long locks embraced her body  
like a cloak and glowed in the fire's light with a strange green sheen.

"You must be one of the Sailor Senshi." The woman motioned to the stranger's outfit, and then to the staff still pointed at her chin. "And more than likely you're the Time Guardian, Sailor Pluto. It's nice to finally have a worthy challenger; these people could hardly keep me amused."

"Who are you and what business do you have here, Dark Senshi?" Pluto's dry tone doused the other's fervor.

The woman backed away in surprise from the taller Senshi.

"Ah, I see you know of us." She reached inside her cloak, continuing to back away from the staff. "But I'm not ready to properly introduce myself yet."

When Sailor Pluto attempted to follow, the woman threw her arms into the air.

"CHAOS FLAME!"

A wall of flames surrounded her and exploded outwards, sending Sailor Pluto and the remains of the cafe flying. Landing on her feet a short distance away, the Time Guardian readied herself against her combatant now emerging from the smoldering rubble.

"I am the Goddess of War and an angel of death. I bring suffering and strife." A tarnished silver mask hid her face, the exaggerated features of a wolf revealed grotesquely in the flickering light of the flames. "I am Sailor Ares."

The whipping wind of the explosion's fallout loosened her grey cloak, revealing a dilapidated uniform. Ares nonchalantly wiped her soot-soiled hands on a black bodice crusted with innumerable bloodstains.

"Tell me where the Sovereign of the Spirit is." The Dark Senshi commanded while the fires ignited another explosion behind her. The resulting shockwave billowed out the singed ends of Ares' skirt and teased the tattered edges of the red tassels hanging from her waist.

Sailor Pluto stood strong against the stiff breeze. "Leave this realm, Sailor Ares. You will not find what you're questing for here."

Ares smirked underneath her mask. "Playing dumb with me isn't going to work, Sailor Pluto. We both know that she's here." Without warning, the woman threw both of her hands out toward her  
green-haired opponent. "STRAFE SPEAR!"

The Time Guardian leapt over the surge of flames, only to be knocked down by the impact of the fist that followed close behind. Both women landed on the ground and propelled themselves at each other. Ares rolled under the swing of Pluto's staff and failed to connect with a leg sweep. Immediately regaining her footing, Ares charged at her opponent, flailing her limbs, lost in the thrill of combat.

"Where is She?!" She growled at the impassive Senshi as she continued her wild attack.

Fist met staff at every blow, frustrating the black-haired aggressor, who responded by charging back into the fray with greater vigor each time. Patiently, Pluto observed her crazed opponent. _Jab, punch, kick, jab, punch, kick_. Very slowly she could see it; she just had to keep up a little longer. _Jab, punch, kick, jab, kick_.

"Damn you!" Ares' rage boiled hotter, and she flung herself into the fray headlong time and again, pushing harder and faster. She _would_ get this Senshi. "Argghh!"

Pluto moved swiftly with her staff, matching her opponent's fervor, coming closer to unlocking the chaotic pattern with each deflection. _Jab, punch, kick, punch. _

'_Now!'_

Swinging the staff around, Pluto caught Ares in the knee. Ares' momentum sent her stumbling over, nearly falling to her knees. Pluto leapt back and brought her staff around, unleashing her own attack.

"Dead scream."

The whirling ball of sand rushed toward Ares and smashed into her chest. Her body skipped across the hard concrete like a stone, coming to rest near the collapsed remains of the cafe door.

Immediately, Ares jumped to her feet and tried to regain her breath.

_'I'm not letting her win so easily!'_ She thought, fighting to fill lungs which no longer seemed to want to work.

However, victory would not be so easy, since every intake of air brought on greater twinges of deep-seated pain. On top of that, the Time Guardian now had landed softly in front of her, her staff poised for another attack.

A moment of sobriety overtook the dark-haired madwoman. She became acutely aware that she couldn't take on Sailor Pluto with a few cracked ribs, and though she could probably kill the Senshi, she'd be killing herself in the process. And death presented an insurmountable obstacle in her search for the Sovereign.

Ares sneered within the confines of her mask. _'Just when I had a worthy rival…'_ Oh well, it would give her time to plan. Her smirk widened. She would be better prepared next time.

"Till next time, Pluto," she rasped painfully. "CHAOS FLAME!"

At her command, a wall of fire once again burst from the ground between the pair. The Time Guardian could only shield her face until the flames died away, revealing that the Dark Senshi had disappeared.

Sailor Pluto relaxed her posture and looked at the ruins surrounding her. This one had proven to be more powerful than her expectations. There could be no holding back with these Dark Senshi, and they were the all the more dangerous for it. The screams of the sirens grew closer, spurring her to retreat.

She closed her eyes and sighed, trying to alleviate the sadness that weighed on her. More would have to suffer inevitably, but she couldn't stall any longer; the poor child would have to face her destiny.

It was time.

-End of Chapter 1-

Thanks:

I'd like to thank Setsu-P for letting me play around with her characters in this story and correcting every little detail I had gotten wrong as well as giving this one an extensive revision. Thanks again Setsu-P!

Then I'd like to thank Chris for providing me with bios and background on Sailor Ares and permitting me to let her terrorize Ben's Cafe. FYI, Ben's Cafe was an actual café in Tokyo.

Next I'd like to thank David Johnston for helping me edit this sucker.

I'd also like to thank Dark Master Jewelle for her help on Otaku Senshi Clichés.

And last of all I'd like to thank all of the folks on the Pretty Soldier ML (may you rest in peace) for supplying me with the SM information I needed. I especially appreciate all of your efforts.

*************

Disclaimer:

*************

Sailor Moon is owned by Naoko Takeuchi.

All original characters are owned and copyrighted by Setsu-P (c) 2000.

They are being used with owner's expressed permission.

~ Bastion

Edit 11/08 – Setsu-P Revised


	2. The Call of Destiny from Distant Echoes

Let's break a few Otaku Senshi conventions, don't you agree fair reader? Hehe.

BTW, since we're on the topic of Otaku Senshi cliches, here's a LJ that's documented quite a few fics that are some of the biggest offenders. The Sailor Moon Sue Report! It's a great source if you'd like your Otaku Senshi to be something more than your typical Mary Sue. Check it out:

smsues. livejournal. com/

And once again, the website that has all the pics and bios on various characters in this story, go to Setsu-P's website:

www. iguananet. us/rmwerx/DS/

Comments/Reviews/Complaints? Send em' my way.

Happy reading!

++++++++++++++++  
Sovereign of the Spirit  
Writer: Bastion

Editor: Setsu-P

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Chapter 2: The Call of Destiny from Distant Echoes

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_"What in the heavens are you so bubbly about, cousin?" She asked once the door closed behind them, relieved to have finally left all the silly formalities of what was considered royal propriety behind._

_Her tanned companion sat up on the couch she'd flung herself so gleefully onto and brushed pale blue hair out of her eyes. She carefully and demurely smoothed her skirts before beginning._

_"Guess who's going to the ball?" Her cousin announced, grinning from ear to ear._

_"Really?" she beamed in return, barely containing her elation. "Mother said I could go this time, too!"_

_The two young girls giggled, enjoying their private little secret. They tried in vain to keep their excited voices down to hushed whispers, but muffled squeals and snickers still leaked out into the corridor._

_"So," she whispered, leaning towards her fellow conspirator, her dark hair swaying forward over one shoulder, "what are you going to dress up as? It's a costume ball, you know."_

Those strained giggles still echoed in Setsuna's memories as she noticed Haruka and Michiru walking into the restaurant.

She observed them as they approached her booth. The two always carried an air of mystique, drawing the attention of those around them. Perhaps it was because they complimented each other well; Michiru with her elegance and grace, Haruka with her charm and strong will. Setsuna took a sip of her tea. She could see why many envied and admired the pair from afar.

Setsuna sipped again, noting the terse expressions and stiff body language of her comrades. People in the restaurant must have taken notice of this as well and gave them a respectable amount of distance. She recognized that look on their faces; she had seen it many more times than she'd liked, but at least she knew she had their undivided attention. Setsuna brushed some of her long green hair behind her ear and set down her cooling cup of tea on its saucer. The time for reminiscing was over – there was business to attend to.

The two girls seated themselves across from Setsuna as the waitress served them their usual drinks; coffee, black and strong for Haruka, and green tea for Michiru. Both girls raised their eyes toward Setsuna while the waitress made a hasty exit.

"What's the problem, Setsuna?" The blonde spoke first, her deep voice resonant, while she raised her cup to her lips. Her teal-haired partner just fixed emerald eyes upon Setsuna, not making any movement toward her warm drink.

No greetings, no hellos; just cut to the chase. Strangely, Setsuna found their tactlessness refreshing, compared to the constant cautiousness of the Meiou Corporation executives.

Weaving her fingers together in front of her face, Setsuna replied, "A new threat has arrived in our time. The Dark Senshi."

She noted that the pair perked their ears, but aside from that sharpening of attention, neither reacted.

"Dark Senshi?" Michiru asked quietly. "I thought I felt a strange presence here, but I didn't think it was a Senshi."

Setsuna nodded her head solemnly.

"Dark Senshi, huh?" Haruka huffed, crossing her arms. "What do you know about them?"

"I know very little." Setsuna confessed, sighing audibly. "I know that they wield power over the elements like we do." She winced internally with the pain in her abdomen; still tender after a few days of healing. "This I have come to know personally."

"So you've already engaged them?" Though Michiru hid it well within her calm demeanor, Setsuna could hear the tension in her words.

"Yes. Ares. She is a conjurer of the flame and spirits. So far she appears to be the only one here."

"Anything else?"

Setsuna avoided their eyes. "No. These Senshi were so corrupted that I'm unsure just how much their powers were altered or how much stronger they became after their exile."

Setsuna sighed again as both girls gave her a hard stare. She knew better than to be too evasive with them. "Before the collapse of the Silver Millennium, our solar system used to teem with Senshi. Unfortunately, just as there existed Senshi who used their powers to protect the innocent, there were Senshi who abused those powers. Since Senshi could be reincarnated, the only punishment for those who were beyond redemption was to exile them to a parallel dimension."

Michiru finally picked up her tea and took a drawn out draught. "So, how many Senshi were exiled to this dimension from our solar system?"

"Quite a few." Setsuna replied, noticing Haruka's cropped blond hair bristling slightly. "It had been sparked mostly by the betrayal of one of the Senshi against Queen Serenity. This Senshi and her other conspirators became known as the Dark Senshi shortly after their exile."

"How did they get free?" Michiru brushed a curl of her hair from her face and sipped her tea quickly as Haruka frowned, letting her coffee cool on the table.

Setsuna leaned back with her cup. "They found a way to cross into our dimension. I didn't know they had crossed over until Ares destroyed that cafe a few days ago."

The blonde continued to frown and folded her arms. "I thought you were the one who prevented these things from happening? You are the guardian of the Time Gate, are you not?"

Instantly, Setsuna's red scrutinizing eyes fixed Haruka with a piercing a glare over the rim of her tea cup. "It's not my duty to prevent these inter-dimensional travelers from entering into our world."

"Then whose is it?" The sound of Michiru's calming tone reminded Setsuna there was no time for petty arguments, and she relaxed her gaze.

"Right now, that is none of your concern." Setsuna set down her empty cup and crossed her arms. "What I need is for both of you to find Ares before she does any more serious damage."

Quizzically, Haruka raised one eyebrow and picked up her coffee again. "And how do you expect us to find her?"

Setsuna's scarlet gaze never wavered from the blonde. "Wherever there's smoke, as the old saying goes..."

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Wandering the narrow streets, lost in this maze the locals called Tokyo; Sailor Ares began to curse her continued existence in this realm. Cool gusts began to breach the protective layer of her rough cloak, drawing out an unwilling shiver.

Ares watched as other girls and ladies pranced by in their fancy clothing, exploding in an array of pastels. _'Gaudy'_, the Dark Senshi thought, shoving through the mindless sea of pinks, yellows, light blues, and magentas.

It had been a day or so since her battle with one of the Senshi, and the insidious craving for destruction now grew intolerable. She desperately wanted to break free of this imprisonment of peace and order. Her rage needed release.

*Gurgle*

Her stomach asserted its own authority by rumbling loudly, seeming to twist in her abdomen. Ares swore under her breath; she needed to take better care of herself in the future if she was going to survive the battles to come. This unusual neglect of her most basic needs had now forestalled the satisfying of other urges. Scowling, she was trudging on, pondering ways of plundering some food, when a distant soft rhythm caressed her ears.

The beat was hypnotic, and it drew her nearer like a moth to a flame. Every step revived long-dormant memories of a life she once lived. The times she spent during her childhood, training within the cloister of the Chaos Church, competing fiercely and violently with other priestesses to be the one who would channel Chaos' spirit. She remembered standing on the highest balcony of the grand Dark Cathedral in her ceremonial black and red robes, overlooking the thousands of her followers.

Smells of food broke her reverie, and she found herself in front of several small makeshift shops lining the road. Looking around, Ares found that, in addition to savory culinary delights, some of the merchants were selling small trinkets. One display in particular caught her attention.

_'Ofuda?_' Ares thought as she caressed one of the strips of rice paper with traditional Japanese characters painted on it.

Not since her days controlling demons and spirits had she seen one. Of course, 'good luck', as this particular ofuda wished for, couldn't put those monsters under her control. _'Useless.'_ Ares smirked and moved further down the row of shops.

Once the strong aroma of food hit her senses, Ares' mouth began to water. Immediately, she keyed in on all the delicious choices.

"Hello there, miss. Would you like a tasty kabob?" A grinning merchant caught her eye as he waved the aforementioned treat in front of her face. _'Foolish mortal,'_ Ares fumed, _'one does not taunt the Senshi of War.'_

Before the merchant could react to the crazed glint in her eye, Ares had grabbed his hand and squeezed hard. She met the merchant's instant agony with a malicious grin.

"Yes, I would."

The man crumpled under Ares' grasp and whimpered. It always amused her when they did that. She squeezed a little harder, and smiled with glee when she felt a few of his bones pop in her hand as though she was snapping a bundle of twigs.

"Please," he wheezed, "let me go."

Ares continued to grin as she slipped the kabob from the merchant's slack grasp, then pulled him forward over his counter. Grinning like a cat with a canary, Ares snapped her fist forward, slamming it into the man's face. As he slumped to the ground, Ares took a large, satisfying bite out of her tasty meal and walked away.

Momentarily sated, Ares explored her odd surroundings until a pair of large red poles came into view. Mesmerized, she approached the steps between the large wooden pilings, which supported an archway that reminded her of a crown. Methodically, she climbed each step in time with the drumbeat. She didn't completely understand why, but the closer she came to the top, the more something inside her would slowly ebb and swell, seeming to grow larger.

Finally, when she reached the top, it hit her all at once. Spiritual energy swirled around her like a huge mass. It had been a long time since she'd felt so much of it concentrated in one area. Not since the days when she had channeled the Chaos spirit had her spiritual senses felt so in tune with her surroundings.

She hated the predominating sense of peace those spirits emanated, though. Had they been unsettled spirits, or even Furies bent on revenge, that would definitely be more soothing to her.

Curious, Ares continued onward down the stone path, which led her to an oddly shaped building where she sensed the spiritual energy had concentrated. The building mirrored the shape of a crown much like the archway at the bottom of the stone steps, only colored more elaborately in red, gold, and green. Despite its odd architecture, the building radiated an aura of history and reverence.

`This must be their temple. It's hardly as imposing as the Dark Cathedral. How's this going to strike fear into the hearts of unbelievers?'

The smell of musky incense tickled her nose, stirring up more memories of her time as priestess and of the fateful day Seth took it all away from her. Ares gritted her teeth and clenched her fists; she would repay Seth for seducing her and stealing away her congregation.

"Among other things…" She growled to herself.

Suddenly, a heavy stench mingled with the spicy scent of the incense. The telltale smell of ash and something else she couldn't quite describe pulled her over to the cover of the trees and bushes surrounding the pitiful temple.

An all too familiar tingling went up Ares' spine as she pushed her way through the undergrowth. There was an opponent nearby, a very powerful one; she could feel it. With the thrill of a potential fight luring her on, Ares quickly made her way to a clearing shrouded in a fog of thick smoke. She allowed herself to cough a little and waited for her next challenger to make herself or himself known.

"I know you're out there." Unfortunately, Ares' patience would wait for only so long. "Show yourself."

As if at Ares' command, the smoke swirled and shifted on its own, gathering into a rotating sphere. From out of its center a soft white hand emerged, followed by another. Both of the pale hands eased themselves over and gripped the edges of what was now, obviously, a portal of some sort. A woman's face emerged from the cloudy ball and calmly studied her. Ares couldn't repress a shiver - the mysterious woman's bright red eyes chilled her usually boiling blood. She recognized the markings on her cheeks and forehead almost immediately and decided that she had been too hasty in challenging this entity.

Either oblivious to or uncaring of Ares' discomfort, the woman pulled the rest of her body through the smoke portal and descended gracefully to the grass. An astonishing amount of blue-black hair floated around her, mixing with the wisps of smoke in the air.

"We finally meet, Junko." The woman remarked coolly, paying Ares no mind whatsoever as she went about the task of straightening the billowing red sleeves of her dress.

Ares flinched. "How do you know my true name, demon?"

The woman stopped what she was doing and lazily brought her dark crimson gaze around to the smaller girl. "I know many things, and the most important thing for you to remember is that you shall address me as Harutaki. Never dare to confuse me with those mindless beasts again."

"Fine." Ares muttered reluctantly, refusing to meet Harutaki's narrowed eyes. "What business do you have with me, then? If you know my true name, you must know what I'm here for."

"That I do." The woman glided closer to the Dark Senshi. "I have an interest in your task, and I would like to offer you my assistance."

"What's the catch?" All the hairs on Ares' head stood on end as she backed away, a low growl rumbling in her throat.

"There is no catch." Harutaki responded with an air of disinterest. "I felt that I it would be more beneficial to me to have you willingly agree to my assistance than to have it forced upon you. I thought I might offer you a choice...you being the _reasonable_ young woman that you are, after all…"

_`That arrogant demon bitch! She will feel my wrath!'_ Ares mentally howled in rage. With fist clenched and fear abandoned, the smaller girl jumped right into the woman's face and snarled. "No one! I repeat, I will be NO ONE'S slave!"

Harutaki raised one thin, smooth eyebrow. "Whatever deal you have with Seth is of no concern to me. What I am offering is more of a partnership."

"I am NOT his slave." Ares denied hotly.

The ex-priestess thought she caught a hint of amusement in the demon's eyes. "I thought you were only here because Seth ordered you to be?"

Unable to tolerate any more of the harlot's attitude, Ares summoned her power, allowing the flames to envelop her hands. She started to rush forward, but her body suddenly refused to cooperate. Confused, the Dark Senshi looked from side to side before somewhat reluctantly meeting Harutaki's eyes, which were most definitely amused now, though it seemed more like a patina than an actual show of emotion.

"It's such a shame." Harutaki chastised, wagging a finger at the girl. "You're focusing all that impressive anger and power in the wrong direction. What a waste."

"What are you going to do with me, demon?" Ares growled, surprised her captor would allow her the freedom to speak.

Harutaki narrowed her eyes, all traces of good humor gone. "If you were not a vital component in my plans, girl, I would have already dispensed with you."

Leaning in almost too closely for her captive's comfort, the demon raised one elegant forefinger towards Ares' forehead. "You want to curb that temper of yours in future, Junko. Be less quick to attack, be a little more open to new possibilities, and most of all, be more thankful… because considering what I'm about to grant you, I'm doing you more of a favor."

Stinging, nervous sweat trickled down into Ares' eyes, blurring her view of Harutaki's approaching finger. Her heart pounded, her breathing became shallow, and she felt tingly everywhere. She was excited, oddly enough. Being held captive, at someone else's mercy, reminded her in many ways of being possessed by the Chaos spirit when she still had the powers of a priestess. Oh, how she wished she could return to those days again!

A small smirk formed on the corner of Harutaki's mouth, now within kissing distance, as her finger finally came in contact with Ares' skin, directly between her eyebrows. The demon's breath was cold and smelled faintly of pungent, scented smoke. "Prepare to have your wish fulfilled."

The touch was electrifying and spread throughout her body like a tsunami. The destructive wave blew through all sorts of barriers that had built up within her, wiping everything clean. Her mind was free. Her spirit was cleansed of the blight that had infected it for so long, and her body vibrant with so much power. Once the wave crested, she could sense something else following in the wake of the wave of sensation. A dark and viscous presence lazily filled those newly cleansed spaces. The presence grew and expanded, filling her more and more until she couldn't take it anymore.

Ares knew this sensation. She remembered it very well from her days in the cloister and she couldn't hide the ecstasy evident on her face.

"CHAOS! YOU'VE RETURNED TO ME!" Ares screamed in ecstasy as flames exploded from her body, destroying everything around her.

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'_It's funny how life can throw a wrench in your plans.'_ Ken gnawed on those words mentally as he watched the firemen extinguish the flaming remains of Ben's Café. He kicked at an errant pebble, bouncing it off the sidewalk as he thought back to that incident a few nights ago. He had been jolted from a nice sleep when something like a bomb detonated down the street. Before he could make it to the street, the inferno a few blocks away towered high into the night like a gigantic, glowing worm.

As he approached, the blaze had totally consumed what was left of the café he'd only been sitting not a few hours ago.

_`Only a few hours ago.'_ He reminded himself as he continued his aimless wandering. It felt like it had been a lot longer. Ken supposed this was what shock did to a person.

The questions never ceased, either; what if he had stayed longer? What if the explosion had been bigger and destroyed his apartment building? What if, what if, _what if_. Though he wasn't a very religious man, he had always believed that *someone* was looking after him, keeping him out of harm's way. Despite losing his father when he was a baby and his mother's death when he was in college, Ken had never felt lost or abandoned. Sad, maybe, but he never lost hope. Somehow, deep down, he knew everything was going to be okay. Now, for the first time in his life, he doubted it.

That night, he saw a lone figure standing and watching the scene below. He recognized her; well, actually it was more like he recognized the uniform. One of Sailor Moon's Senshi had perched herself on a nearby ledge high above the conflagration. He had seen pictures of a few of them, mostly Sailor Moon, but never had he ever seen one in the flesh.

She looked… different from what he'd expected of a Sailor Senshi. This wasn't a girl, but most definitely a woman, and a very beautiful one at that. Even from a great distance Ken could tell. Her long, dark, flowing hair swirled around her slim form lazily with the gusts of fallout from the fire. However, her posture seemed so tense and serious. She didn't look relieved or satisfied. Considering the state of the café and the number of paramedics carrying out large black bags, something bad enough must have happened that even a Sailor Senshi couldn't stop it.

That worried Ken greatly. Over the years, when powerful enemies of Sailor Moon attacked, the rest of Tokyo usually suffered greatly. For instance, Mugen Academy was just now beginning to get back on its feet years after the school had been obliterated in one of their battles. Based on the destruction and the presence of a very tense Senshi nearby, had another powerful enemy appeared? Was his whole neighborhood going to be demolished like Ben's Café?

Ken shook his head and kicked another pebble. He needed to clear his mind and find that precious peace he'd lost only a few days ago.

"That's it!" The blond immediately regretted his exclamation when he noticed everyone on the sidewalk staring at him blankly. "Ah, heh."

Excited, Ken shook his hands free of his long sleeves. Yes, he would go to a shrine and pray - that would surely help him clear his mind. At the very least, it would help him to relax. Unfortunately, his neighborhood had mostly Buddhist shrines, and he wasn't too familiar with the ceremony.

Ken tapped his chin. He needed something a little more free-form and not too complicated. He snapped his fingers.

"Shinto it is." He stated, glancing around to make sure he hadn't attracted any more stares.

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Surprisingly, the nearest Shinto shrine was just a district away in Juuban. As he waited on the train, he couldn't help but feel a little anxious. He had a little bounce in his step and a simple melody on endless repeat in his head.

_`Am I nervous or excited?'_ He wondered, lacing his thin fingers together to form an arch in front of his face. _`I guess since I've never been to a shrine before, I'll go with excited. It's like an adventure. Yes, I'm a man on a mission to find religion!'_

Putting on his most serious `man on a mission' face, Ken marched onward to the Shinto shrine. Before he knew it, he'd somehow gone from the urban jungle that was Tokyo to the rural forests of a time long since gone. It was like he'd crossed into another world when he passed between the protective pillars of the shrine's torii. His breath hitched in his throat the moment he set foot on the shrine's sacred grounds. He didn't know how to describe it, but he felt like he'd just woken up from a prolonged deep sleep.

In awe, Ken took his time walking the grounds. Everything around him came into better focus; the sun seemed brighter, the song of the birds sounded sweeter, the air smelt crisper, and he felt fulfilled. It was like he belonged here. How could he have denied himself this experience for so long?

Dazed, he hadn't realized he had already climbed the steps up to the main area of the shrine. In fact, he almost didn't notice when he nearly knocked over the priestess sweeping the steps.

"Hey! Watch it!" The priestess's growl made Ken jump, leaping backwards. As he did so, he was arrested by her burning violet eyes. "You nearly knocked me down the steps! I could have gotten seriously injured falling down that far."

Ken cowered back and hid his nervous grin behind his sleeve-covered hands. "Uh, I'm sorry, priestess. It's my first time at a shrine, and I kinda got wrapped up in the atmosphere. Heh."

The fire in the priestess' eyes cooled slightly and the girl raised her eyebrows, confused. "You've never been to a shrine before?"

Ken shrugged, expertly hitching up the loose collar of his oversized sweater, hoping the wooly material would hide his sudden blush. He had to admit she did look pretty cute. "Well, my mother was never one for visiting shrines. She always told me that I already had the favor of the Gods, so I didn't need to ask them for anything more. That and I also live in Roppongi."

"Ah." The priestess's expression brightened with understanding and what looked suspiciously like amusement. "Partied a little too hard, then? Perhaps you did something you now regret?"

"N-No!" Ken blurted out too quickly. _'What was up with this priestess?'_ he thought, they were supposed to be calm and collected, not so… suggestive. "I just wanted to go somewhere to relax and think clearly. I've… got a lot on my mind."

A small, polite smile formed on the girl's face. "I'm sorry. I probably shouldn't have teased you so much, but you did nearly knock me down the steps."

_`Just how many times is she going to remind me?'_ Ken chuckled dryly. "Uh, yeah, sorry about that again. Anyway, since I'm here, um, what do I do exactly?"

The raven-haired beauty snorted and stopped sweeping. "I suppose I should show you around and walk you through." Turning, the priestess offered her hand. "I'm Rei Hino...and you are?"

Tentatively, the blonde man reached out and shook the girl's hand, unsure what would happen the moment he touched it. He hoped he didn't spontaneously combust. That would definitely ruin the moment with such a pretty girl.

"Ken Ishida." The blonde immediately grimaced at the nervous squeak in his voice.

Trying hard to hide her smirk, Rei motioned for Ken to follow her. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Ishida, welcome to the Hikawa Shrine."

Figuring out what to do turned out to be a fairly easy exercise, though he did gain the priestess's ire once again when he took a quick swig of the cool water after washing his hands in the basin of the chozuya.

"Only disrespectful foreigners do that." She had chided him, snatching the ladle away.

Rei then directed him to where he could kneel to meditate or pray. That's when Ken ran into trouble. What to pray for? For peace of mind, he guessed, but he was just here to calm his nerves, and once he'd set foot on the shrine grounds his anxiety had dissolved. He couldn't think of much else to ask for - in fact, he didn't know why he was still kneeling if he couldn't think of anything to pray for.

Opening his eyes, Ken peeked over his shoulder, confirming that the priestess was still nearby tending to some paper streamers hanging from a rope.

Okay, so he did have *one* reason to still be kneeling, but now his knees were beginning to ache and he couldn't so much as wiggle his toes. Satisfied that he had fulfilled his praying quota, Ken confidently strode over to the raven haired priestess.

"Finished already?" Rei quipped, a small smile clipping the corners of her mouth.

Confidence deflated by her tone, Ken slumped forward slightly, his sweater billowing out and once again lending him the appearance of a punctured balloon. "Did I stop too soon?"

Rei waved her hands. "Oh no, no, no. I was just making sure you had finished. Please don't take any offense to that." With that, Rei nodded towards the blonde man. "Come on, we're finished here, unless you'd like to keep exploring the grounds."

Stretching his arms, Ken casually placed his hands behind his head and scanned the rest of the shrine grounds. Though it did have a fair amount of vegetation, the shrine itself occupied a small plot of land, and it didn't take him long to take it all in. "Hey, what's that over there?"

"Oh, that?" Rei followed Ken's finger towards a board on which several small wooden tablets hung. "Those are emas."

"Emas?"

Striding over to the table, Rei picked up a tablet displaying a small ink painting of a crow. "If you have a prayer or wish you'd like to have fulfilled, you can purchase an ema, write down your prayer, and hang it here."

Ken smirked. "And if it comes true?"

Rei smirked back. "Then you come back and put up another ema in gratitude."

"Really?" Ken rubbed his chin thoughtfully, an ingenious plan coming to mind. Oh yeah, sometimes he could be so smooth. "Okay, I'll put one up."

"Here." Rei handed the lanky man a tablet. "Knock yourself out."

With a cocky grin, Ken picked up the felt-tipped pen placed next to the stack of tablets. He had to suppress a chuckle as he wrote down his wish. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he thought they'd write about him in history books for having devised such a devastatingly clever plan.

When he finished, Ken boldly hung up his ema and stepped away, beaming with pride. He turned to Rei, waiting for her to read his wish and melt at his feet. Instead, the raven-haired priestess stared up at him impatiently.

"What?"

Rei snorted and Ken thought he could see a vein throb on her forehead. "Are you going to pay for that?"

Ken exhaled, deflated again. "Oh, uh...yeah."

Rummaging through his wallet, he handed over some cash to the irritated priestess.

Her demeanor changed the instant she received the payment. "Thank you very much, and I wish you good health and fortune until we meet again." Rei said as she smiled and bowed deeply.

With that, she spun on her heel and began to walk away. Confused, Ken just watched the shimmering dark hair toss from side to side. She was leaving? But if she left, she wouldn't melt at his feet, and then his plan would be ruined. He had to rectify the situation quickly, orhe'd lose his chance to be in those history books!

"Ms. Hino?"

Ken's heart stopped when the priestess spun around. Why did he suddenly feel like a target on an archery range? "Yes?"

Withering under her gaze, Ken rubbed the back of his ruffled blond hair and pointed towards the wall of hanging tablets. "Aren't you going to read it?"

Rei raised an eyebrow and approached the board. Giving Ken a quick glance, she found his tablet and read aloud.

"Please grant me the pleasure of a date with a beautiful, intelligent woman." Rei snickered as she finished.

Ken's cheeks burned, flushed with embarrassment. Things definitely weren't going according to plan. What did he do wrong? "Come on, please don't laugh."

Rei held her hand to her mouth, unsuccessfully suppressing her giggling. "I'm sorry, Mr. Ishida. I'm flattered, but I have to decline your offer. My life's rather hectic and besides, I'm only a sophomore in high school. I think I'm a little too young for you."

"Hey." Ken said defensively. "I'm not *that* old."

Crossing her arms, Rei sighed. There was that vein again. "Honestly, Mr. Ishida, a relationship between an older man and a young girl is hardly appropriate."

With the SS Ishida badly damaged and sinking, Ken decided to raise the white flag. Biting his lips, the blonde nervously bounced his index fingers together before his face. "Um, sorry, Ms. Hino. I shouldn't have been so forward."

Ken's heart fluttered a bit when Rei beamed a smile at him. "That's quite all right, no harm done. Now, if you'll excuse me, I still have a lot of things that need to be done."

As the priestess walked away, Ken gazed longingly after her, and was suddenly disgusted with himself. He was enraptured by a high school girl? Didn't they make porno mangas on this very subject? Ken slumped forward. Great. Now he wished his life was more like a porno.

'_God, I'm pathetic.'_ Shoving his hands, sleeves and all, into his pockets, Ken plodded off towards the shrine entrance, eyes on the stones at his feet.

As Ken sunk deeper into his self-loathing, he felt his phone buzz against his hip. Curious, he fished it out of one pocket to check the screen on its colorful face.

"Ichigo?!" Without a moment's hesitation, Ken flipped open the device. His editor didn't like to be kept waiting, especially if it was an emergency. "Yes, Ichigo sir."

The familiar growl of his surly editor rumbled against Ken's ear. "Ken! Sorry for botherin' ya on your day off, but we couldn't get permission to do Isisu's magazine shoot at the gardens."

Ken sighed. "And I take it you want me to come in today and find another place."

Ken swore he could *hear* the editor grin through the phone. "Precisely."

"Alright, I'll be there in about…" as he gauged how far away he was from the office, Ken caught the red torii of the Hikawa Shrine out of the corner of his eye. Suddenly an epiphany struck down from the heavens. "The shrine!"

"Huh?"

Ken shook his head, trying not to vibrate with sudden excitement. "You think we could use a Shinto shrine for the backdrop for the photo shoot?"

He could hear Ichigo muttering incoherently to himself, mulling the idea over. "Well, the theme _is _'getting in touch with nature'. Sure, what the hell? You know of a place that would allow us to take shots?"

Ken smiled so wide, it almost hurt his cheeks. "Just give me five minutes to work that Ishida magic."

Ichigo mumbled once on the other side of the line. "Fine, whatever, I don't care if we have to do it on Mars, we need a location for Monday."

"Aye-aye, sir." Ken saluted.

"You're saluting again, aren't you?"

Embarrassed, Ken lowered his hand.

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Setsuna adored green tea, especially with a few drops of honey. She firmly believed it was a cure-all for everything, from the common cold to aching joints, to a simple bruised ego. The smooth, spicy sweetness quickly remedied a long, rough day and just recently, it had been a long rough _few_ days. However, this time it wasn't the result of her day job. If anything, Setsuna considered her job as the chairwoman of the Meiou Corporation more of a guilty pleasure. No, she'd been tormenting herself about the best strategies to use in confronting the Dark Senshi ever since her fight with Sailor Ares a few nights previously. Of course, recent news of a fire at a shrine today hadn't helped to ease her nerves. If Ares was any indication of just how strong the Dark Senshi truly were, then the Senshi were in for the fight of their lives.

Setting down her teacup, Setsuna met the cloudy, vacant red eyes of her cousin Isisu, who sat waiting patiently in front of Setsuna's desk. She had wished Isisu wouldn't have taken out her contacts before coming here - that seemingly vacant stare always brought back unpleasant memories.

Sighing, Setsuna folded her hands into her lap. "Isisu, there is something of extreme importance I must discuss with you."

The tall woman tilted her head to the right, her overlong blue-white hair swaying like a pendulum as she did so. "The apartment is just fine, cousin."

Totally ambushed, Setsuna just blinked. "Huh?"

Without missing a beat, Isisu continued in her even tone. "The last time you called me into your private study was to discuss my living arrangements. You felt that I would be better off living here with you, but I made the argument that since I never lived with you before I lost my memory, I must have been independent. Therefore, it only made sense for me to live on my own-"

Sometimes Setsuna wished she was still stuck in the Fourth Dimension. She had forgotten how vexing family could be. "This isn't about your apartment, Isisu. I want to talk to you about your past."

"I have none."

"You do, and as much as it pains me to do so, my hand has been forced to reveal it to you." Setsuna stood and paced around her spacious study.

She took a deep breath, marshaling her thoughts and trying hard to recall the last time she'd been so reluctant to do something. "You are the Princess of Charon, a planet that used to be a military outpost on the fringe of the Solar System. The planet teemed with raw magic which the people of Charon were able to harness. For that reason, Charon produced some of the most powerful mages during the Silver Millennium."

Isisu cocked her head left. "Silver Millennium?"

Setsuna paused and gazed at her cousin, reflecting fondly on happier days long since past. "It was a time when all of the planets in our Solar System knew peace and formed an alliance headed by the Moon Kingdom."

Isisu cocked her head right, but this time Setsuna continued as the woman opened her mouth. She was afraid this would take awhile. "The Moon Kingdom headed the alliance because its leader, Queen Serenity, possessed a powerful magical artifact called the Silver Crystal."

"I'm confused, cousin." Isisu stated plainly. "I was told that Earth was the only planet in our Solar System that was inhabited, and I thought that Charon was Pluto's moon."

Setsuna began pacing again, hands clasped behind her back underneath the veil of her long green hair. "Back then, Charon was Pluto's sister planet. They shared the same orbital path, always at opposite edges of the Sol border. That all changed around the end of the Silver Millennium. You see, Isisu, about a thousand years ago we were invaded by an agent of Chaos named Queen Metallia, who ruled over a legion of demons and monsters called the Dark Kingdom. Charon was overrun and badly damaged by the Dark Kingdom before they were pushed back."

"I see." Isisu cocked her head left again. "So why is there not any record of this Silver Millennium?"

Setsuna idly wondered if she could set her watch to Isisu's swaying head. "The alliance was strong and probably could have withstood the war with the Dark Kingdom. Unfortunately, there were several traitors from within the alliance - namely a woman named Beryl, as well as a few people from Serenity's own court who helped Metallia take over Earth and from there launched an attack on the Moon Kingdom. The Earth, Mars, Venus, and Moon were ravaged, and another planet collapsed altogether. None of Queen Serenity's court survived the war, aside from myself… and you."

For a moment or two, Isisu didn't move. Setsuna knew that her cousin was digesting all that she had told her and even in her given state, it was a lot to swallow.

Another minute passed before Isisu blinked and spoke again. "If this is all true, cousin, where have I been for the past thousand years?"

'_Finally, the dreaded question.'_ Setsuna pursed her lips. She would have to tread carefully - though she needed to tell her cousin the truth, Setsuna didn't want to reveal too much. She wanted Isisu to make the ultimate decision on her own.

Casually, she reached for her now cold cup of tea and took a sip, noting the absence of any of its past sweetness. "Not long after the fall of Charon, you were put into a deep sleep, from which you awakened from in this day in age."

"Why?"

Setsuna averted her eyes from that unnerving pale gaze and realized this wasn't the first time she'd been this evasive with her cousin. "It was a consequence of the war. Queen Serenity used the Silver Crystal to send the souls of her daughter and the rest of her court to be reincarnated a thousand years into the future."

"What became of the Dark Kingdom?"

With the difficult part of the conversation over, Setsuna settled into her plush chair. "Serenity had been able to seal Metallia and her Dark Kingdom away with the Silver Crystal, but that seal faded over time and Metallia was able to break free. Fortunately, by that time, Queen Serenity's court had been reborn and when they reclaimed the Silver Crystal, her daughter, Sailor Moon, defeated Metallia once and for all."

"I am correct in assuming this is the same Sailor Moon I've seen on the local media outlets?"

Setsuna took another sip of her cold tea, noting this time that the flavor had gotten much more concentrated. "Yes. Sailor Moon, Sailor Venus, Sailor Mars, Sailor Mercury, and Sailor Jupiter are reincarnations of Queen Serenity's court."

"Ah." Isisu blinked. "You earlier said that you were 'forced' to reveal all of this to me. Please explain."

Sinking deeper into her chair, Setsuna sighed, wishing her mother was still around today. She had always told the story much better than Setsuna herself could. "Eons ago, the ancestors of my planet, Pluto, created the Time Gate. Upon creating this gate, they discovered a passage to a strange parallel world. Fearing that some unknown enemy would emerge from this world, they appointed a guardian to watch over the egress. Over time, this passage has been used to banish nefarious individuals so dangerous that even in death they posed a risk to our universe. Now those who were banished all those centuries ago have returned, and it is time that the Guardian of the dimensions take up her post once again."

To save both of them the time, and herself in particular the hassle, Setsuna had left out a few things, but she had faith that Isisu would either recall them eventually, or figure them out on her own. The Isisu she remembered should be able to handle things well enough, provided the years and circumstances hadn't changed her too much. At present, it was difficult to tell.

Setsuna took another deep breath. _'Time for the big reveal.'_ Standing, the tall green-haired woman strode over to her large desk. She ran a finger gently over the faux wooden finish, thankful she'd kept the relic from the Moon Kingdom. The hidden safe had served Queen Serenity as well back then as it did today, she mused. Invoking a little bit of magic through a touch of her finger, she unlocked one of several drawers.

She pulled out a small, thin box made of a powerful material that in many ways reminded her of obsidian in appearance. Picking up her henshin pen, Setsuna rested its ball tip briefly against the top of the dark box. Suddenly a light burst from box's side, carving a pathway until it looped around the perimeter. Glancing up, she could see Isisu still seated in her chair, but watching her closely.

_`Oh well, now or never.'_ Setsuna wore her most neutral expression as she walked back around the desk to the pale-haired woman, carrying a smooth green stone in her hand. "You are that guardian, Isisu. You are a Sailor Senshi from the lost planet of Charon, Sailor Dis, Guardian of the Dimensions."

Setsuna resisted the urge to smile as she offered the curved stone to her cousin. She watched with faint amusement as Isisu's eyes moved from the stone to her face and back again before she took the stone.

Carefully, Isisu assessed the green object, tracing her hand around its soft curve, not quite touching it. "This… is mine?"

"This is the Jade Crescent. You were clutching this against your chest when they found you in the Harbor." A small smile tugged at Setsuna's lips, as she tried her best to make her voice sound soothing. "It's the last remnant of Charon. It also contains your Heart."

"My heart?"

Covering the open palms that were cradling the stone with her own hand, Setsuna replied gently, "Your feelings are sealed within that stone, Isisu. It… also might… help you remember who you were."

A chill ran up Setsuna's spine as Isisu raised her eyebrows at this latest revelation. Had those blank eyes shown a flicker of something just now? "Who I was during the Silver Millennium..."

Setsuna ignored the twisting in her stomach. She'd promised herself she wouldn't lie to Isisu. "Maybe, there's no telling for sure. Using the Jade Crescent would unleash all of your emotions, but emotions being highly unpredictable as they are, it might bring your memories into focus or it might not."

Kneeling down, Setsuna looked Isisu straight in the eye, hoping her next message would get through to her. "But understand, once you transform into Sailor Dís, _there is no turning back_. I implore you to meditate on this before you take any action. Do you understand me, Isisu?"

A definite flicker came to Isisu's eyes this time, and Setsuna's heart sank. "How do I transform into Sailor Dís?"

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Isisu stared over at the green stone resting on her nightstand from the comfort of her pillow.

_`Is this what they call meditation?'_ She thought as she observed the stone reflecting the soft light of her lamp.

It fascinated her how the smooth surface of the stone could appear to sparkle whether or not she moved. She was experimenting with this effect at this very moment, in fact, with her head on her pillow and willing not a muscle to move. Watching the light somehow move over the silky surface of the jade, something in Isisu's stomach fluttered uncertainly.

She'd noted the curious sensation began as soon as the Jade Crescent touched her flesh. Her fingers had begun to tingle, then to buzz somehow, and the feeling had moved from there up to her arms, coming to rest somewhere between her heart and the pit of her stomach. It felt…as though some small creature had crept into her chest and now nestled, trembling, just beneath her ribs. She couldn't recall a time she'd felt a sensation like this before, and quite frankly, it intrigued her. Would it intensify once she used the Stone? Some unconscious mental process caused the 's' in the word 'stone' to capitalize, even in thought.

Her cousin had told her as much, but then again Setsuna had also told her so much more. _'Something in her voice…'_ Isisu mused, turning over to face the window, _'there were things Setsuna left unsaid. Why, I wonder?'_ Even when she wasn't looking at it, the image of the Crescent lingered in her mind's eye, shining with temptation, with the promise of secrets to be revealed.

Was she really a princess from a long lost kingdom? Did she truly possess incredible powers like the other Sailor Senshi? Was she the only person able to defeat their new enemy? Isisu found the idea intriguing, as well as something else she couldn't really describe, which made using the Stone that much more tempting. The whole thing seemed so much like the plot of some far-fetched fantasy manga that it couldn't possibly be true, but then it occurred to her that she couldn't remember Setsuna having lied to her before. Perhaps it _was_ true, after all.

However, she also recalled Setsuna's warning: once she transformed into Sailor Dís, there was no turning back. Reflecting on that, Isisu turned over again to face the Stone, sitting so serenely there in the lamplight, then slowly sat up. _'I have so little to return to now,'_ she thought, staring fixedly at the glittering arc of stone on the table. What did she really have to lose by taking on the mantle of the Guardian? Ever since she had started living in Tokyo, she'd felt incomplete; haunted at night by a dream she couldn't decipher. Setsuna, and now Isisu herself, knew this stone was the key to revealing all of those things locked up inside her. So why was she hesitating?

'_Remember, remember…' _Ah, there was that all-important word again, the one that reverberated at the root of this problem. That trembling creature beneath her ribs stirred, and Isisu felt her pulse quicken. She, who until this moment had had nothing to really remember at all, was now presented with the possibility of not only memories, but also memories of an entire _life_. Memories of a time when she might have been like the people who crowded the streets of this city, laughing, crying, feeling anger and joy, instead of being distant and cold, far removed from the scheme of things. Isisu reached out and picked up the Crescent. The sound of her now racing heartbeat filled her ears like the steady roar of the ocean. She wanted to remember. She wanted to feel. She wanted a purpose.

Standing up, Isisu caressed the smooth surface of the Jade Crescent. "This is my idenity."

Her lithe fingers wrapped around the curved stone and she brought it up to her blank eyes. "This is who I am."

Raising the Jade Crescent in both of her palms, she summoned the incantation that her cousin had taught her. "Dimension Soul Charge!"

An explosion of light burst from her palms as energy cascaded from the glowing Crescent down over her body. A dark fog enveloped her as the initial blaze of light faded, whipping like a cyclone around her body. She watched as gloves materialized on her arms, a white bodice appeared on her abdomen, a light green bow blossomed from her chest, and a pair of boots flashed upon her legs. In her palms, the Jade Crescent grew and instinctively Isisu spread her arms until she held a staff in her hands. Amazed, she ran her hands up to the top of the staff and briefly examined the sharp golden spearhead held between the horns of the Crescent, memories beginning to stir.

"This is… the World Spear." She murmured. Though the wind of her transformation had died away, she still seemed to hear it, and behind the phantom gale there seemed to be a cadence, of drums, or of many marching feet. Instead of fading, the sound grew louder, as though whatever was coming toward her was gaining speed.

Suddenly it hit her. She felt… everything, all at once. She laughed and then she cried and then she giggled. She smiled. She smirked. She frowned before she smiled again. She couldn't help herself; even feeling bad felt wondrous. Whatever dam had held these incredible feelings within her had finally been obliterated by this simple piece of stone.

Not since Mother had died had she felt so alive. Isisu paused at that realization, off balance now under the onslaught of what had become an unstoppable torrent of sensation and memory.

"Oh God, Mother!" Just like a lens refocusing, all the fuzzy details of her dreams returned with great clarity. They weren't just recurring dreams, she was reliving her past, and now she couldn't escape it. She remembered the expressions on her parents' faces as they died and soon after watching helpless as her planet, her _home_, was overrun and devoured by the Dark Kingdom.

Then there was the failed coup on the Moon Kingdom. The ensuing battle tore planet Ceres apart.

"Lillis, why did you betray Serenity?" Isisu fell to her knees, sobbing, the transformation melting away without fanfare, leaving her feeling suddenly naked and vulnerable. Her heart throbbed heavily as she recalled every vivid detail of Princess Erinios' trial. Her corruption by the Dark Kingdom was obvious to everyone, and Isisu couldn't understand why her dear friend would allow herself and her fellow Ceresians to side with enemies of the alliance. However, no one bothered to even ask that question, and Lillis was found guilty before the trial even started.

Watching her execution had been particularly difficult, especially since it had been Isisu's duty to open the World Gate and place her Starseed on the other side. The bright, floating orb had twinkled at her almost as if the Starseed of her best friend knew this was the last time they'd see one another.

Isisu wiped her streaming eyes with shaking hands, but the tears wouldn't stop coming. She stared blindly around the small apartment for several moments before locating the bed and tottering over to it, feeling weak and feverish.

After she had banished Lillis's Seed to the other side of the Gate, she had decided then that she would never forgive the Dark Kingdom for what they had done. She vowed to use all of her power to defeat them once and for all, with or without Serenity's permission.

Of course, she had been a fool, and she cringed at the memory of fighting the endless stream of demons and monsters Metallia threw at her. She'd been quickly overwhelmed, despite the powers instilled in her by the Guardianship. Beaten, desperate and sick at heart, it felt as though something inside her had snapped. She didn't remember what had happened after that, not until much later. If it hadn't been for Cyrus, there was no telling what the Dark Kingdom would have done to her.

"Cyrus..." The name fell from Isisu's trembling lips, and she squeezed her eyes shut. She wondered whatever had become of her knight in shining armor. She had never been able to tell him how she truly felt or how much her heart sang for him. Was he, like herself and Setsuna, still alive out there somewhere, waiting for her? Was he searching?

"Damn you, Setsuna." She spat bitterly. That's right, her dear cousin had only stood by and watched as the Queen interrogated and sentenced her. No defense, no pleas, no arguments. No mercy.

"_Damn_ you, Serenity." Isisu growled, a spasm of hot rage leaving her shaking, with clenched fists and hot, dry eyes now wrung empty of tears. It was only a matter of time before her close relationship with Lillis had drawn the suspicions of the Queen, as what Serenity claimed to be a net of conspiracy grew larger in her mind, if not in reality. She remembered all too well the punishment that had been passed down: banishment for a thousand years in frozen stasis.

On that day, Isisu had ceased to see Serenity as _her_ Queen, had sworn never to serve her or her line again.

They had allowed her a few last moments of freedom before they carried out her sentence. She didn't hesitate to take their offer and visited her home on Charon one last time. She had been filled with so much despair as she walked around the dying, deserted planet, its remaining people long since evacuated by her own order.

When she returned, they had readied her for her icy tomb. Never before had she felt so weak, isolated, and broken. Those emotions soon turned to anger, and she had silently seethed as Queen Serenity, with the help of the ice Senshi, Sailor Mercury, began the sealing incantation.

The last thing she remembered was glaring at her cousin while the ice crept up her body. She had mentally cursed as well as questioned the Time Guardian; why didn't she do anything to prevent this? Why was _she_ fated to suffer like this for all eternity? Setsuna, she realized, had had the same look on her face that day as she'd had tonight, as if there had been things she truly wanted to say, but couldn't. She'd turned away at the very end, as everything went dark.

Then Setsuna's words from earlier that night became clear to her. There was no turning back. Setsuna had been trying to warn her, but she hadn't listened. She had doomed herself again, through her own thoughtlessness and haste. She was now Sailor Dís.

There would never be any turning back again.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

_`I swear, that girl could wake the dead.'_ Luna thought as she flattened her ears to try and block out at least _some_ of the snoring and snuggled closer to the window.

It was at times like these that the black cat wished she could transform at will into a human again, as she had been able to do back in the Silver Millennium. At least that way she could open the door and sleep on the couch downstairs. She'd long since gotten used to Usagi's snoring, but on the nights when it seemed the girl was trying to saw down an entire forest, there was no ignoring her.

Luna sighed and peered out the window. Usagi usually only snored like this when she was extremely relaxed or tired, and the feline guessed that she should be thankful that the last year had been relatively quiet. Oh sure, Usagi and the other Sailor Senshi would patrol the city and stop petty crimes as they came upon them, but for the most part each of the girls had begun to focus on their lives and school. Well, at least in Usagi's case, it was her life.

Not long after their ordeal with Sailor Galaxia, things had gone back to the way they'd always been. Ami was still the top of Usagi's class. Makoto continued her martial arts training as well as honing her cooking skills. Rei focused on her priestess duties. Minako was still… Minako…according to Artemis. Mamoru, much as it pained Usagi to allow him to, went back to America to finish his studies. Actually, Luna was pleasantly surprised that Usagi didn't break out in tears the moment Mamoru was gone. She'd half expected the blonde girl to sob herself to sleep much like she had the first time he'd left.

At least those Senshi from the neighboring solar system, the Starlights, weren't here to complicate things this time. That Star Fighter had really messed with Usagi's emotions. Luna stared thoughtfully at the quiet street below, recalling that old Queen Serenity had told her that other Senshi existed all over the universe, some even more powerful than those that served the Moon Kingdom. Of course, Luna had loyally scoffed at the idea; the Moon Kingdom had some pretty powerful Senshi at their disposal. That was until those Starlights appeared, bringing their battle with the corrupted Sailor Galaxia here. To say that Luna felt fortunate that Usagi had been able to break Chaos' influence over Galaxia without having to resort to force was an understatement. Luna doubted even Usagi's Silver Crystal could overcome the immense raw power of the Senshi guardian of the entire universe.

Luna smiled as she laid her head on her paws. Yes, Usagi would make a fine queen, just like her mother, Queen Serenity.

"What's this?" She whispered to herself.

A sudden tingle ran up the feline's spine. She knew this feeling well, since she had felt it before; the same reaction as when Ami, Rei, and Makoto had awakened to their Senshi powers for the first time.

"So, a new Senshi has awakened." Luna pondered aloud. "But as far as I know, all of the Senshi from this system have awakened. Well, except for…"

Luna's whisper trailed off, her musings left unfinished. Dread crept upon her and weighed down on her shoulders. If she was right, then they had a big problem on their hands. Luna took a quick glance at Usagi and frowned.

_`It looks like our little sabbatical is over.'_ She sighed.

Unlike their past encounters, this new potential threat worried Luna greatly. If indeed one of Queen Serenity's traitors had been awoken, would she regain the memories of her past? If she had, then this Senshi would no doubt be out there seeking revenge, and Luna feared that Usagi would be the prime target.

-End of Chapter 2-

Author Notes:

So this took me forever to update. I'm really sorry about that. This one has been on the back burner for awhile mostly because I wasn't sure where to go with it. Fortunately, after some discussions with Setsu-P I finally got a wind of inspiration and filled out the plot. Hooray and there was much rejoicing!

Also, I was worried about this chapter because it felt to me to be a little too chatty. However my aim in this chapter was character development and hopefully I was able to accomplish that. Oh yeah, thanks to Wikipedia once again for providing, I guess, some info on Shinto whether or not it was totally correct. *shrug* I mean I haven't seen a reader yet chide me on culture accuracy.

Anyway, thanks to Setsu-P for providing ideas and such as well as allowing me to bounce them off of her forehead. I'm sure a few Tylenols will take care of that. Plus I'd like to thank her once again for sprucing up the chapter and give it that nice pine forest smell.

Next chapter we'll meet the other Dark Senshi as well as Haruka and Michiru in action while a crazed Ares continues her rampage! Will Dis be able to save the day?

I hoped you enjoyed it! Now it's back to Terrible Things to Waste!

*************

Disclaimer:

*************

Sailor Moon is owned by Naoko Takeuchi.

All original characters are owned and copyrighted by Setsu-P (c) 2000.

They are being used with owner's expressed permission.

~ Bastion

Edit 11/08 – Setsu-P Revised


	3. A Test of Will, an Acceptance of Memory

Sovereign of the Spirit

Now things begin to get… interesting. Fufufufu. Oh yeah, bad words ahead, just so you know. 

In other news, if you liked the fanart by Setsu-P I've posted so far at Mediaminer, check out her DeviantArt site. Just search for Sailor-P under profiles and boom, there she is.

She likes it when you comment on her work. I recommend doing so; she's a pretty good artist.

Enjoy and review!

Sovereign of the Spirit

Written by Bastion  
Original character design by Setsu-P

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Chapter 3: A Test of Will, an Acceptance of Memory, and a Rejection of Heart

-----------------------------------------------------------------

The destruction was massive. In all her battle-tested years, Haruka could only remember the catastrophic collapse of the Mugen Academy being more complete and deadly.

"How many did you find?" Jerking her head up, the blond acknowledged her teammate.

"Four or five by my count." Haruka replied, examining the smoldering ground once again with calm detachment. 

Michiru landed gracefully next to her. "About ten scattered around the grounds."

The blond woman pursed her lips. "That's less than the last few."

Her green-haired companion nodded absently as she surveyed the damage. "Fortunately."

Closing her eyes, Haruka found it difficult to ignore the death and destruction around her. It was obvious to her that this could only be the work of a Senshi. No one else could lay waste to an entire shrine so quickly. Pluto had warned them they were dealing with a powerful fire Senshi, but she hadn't expected something so malevolent. 

Once again, Haruka observed the burnt corpses partially concealed beneath the ashes of what was once the shrine. Who were they? Were they priests or priestesses? Were they visitors praying for good fortune and long lives? Before, they were just casualties, but now they were people who'd had their lives cruelly snatched away from them. 

It made Haruka reflect back on her life before they had met Usagi. Back then they worked with a single purpose - eliminating demons, no matter who got in their way. Whether or not those demons had taken possession of a person, the circumstances didn't matter. The ends justified the means; that was their motto. It hadn't been until they had betrayed Usagi during their battle with Sailor Galaxia that she had reconsidered that particular credo. Now those they had sacrificed for the greater good rested heavily on her soul.

"So this is what happens when a Senshi loses her way?" Haruka murmured somberly.

"Haruka?" 

Sighing, Haruka turned her head slightly to see the worry on her lover's face, but found little comfort in it. "Michiru, what if it was us? What if we hadn't gained control of ourselves back then? Would we have gone on a rampage like this?"

"Haruka." Michiru barked. Haruka winced; Michiru rarely did that. "What's done is done. We can't regret what's happened in the past. We have a mission and if we don't complete it, more innocent people are going to die."

Facing Michiru, Haruka stared into her hardened dark emerald eyes. Feeding off their resolve, Haruka ruffled her short blonde hair, feeling a little embarrassed at the reprimand. In response, Michiru smiled warmly and gently caressed her cheek briefly before allowing her serious demeanor to return.

A smile flickered across Haruka's features. Michiru was such a kind-hearted soul. But with a sigh, the blonde woman let reality intrude upon their little interlude.

"We've been lucky so far that the casualties haven't been high, but I'm worried she's going to target a park or an office building or a school."

Michiru nodded. "I agree, but there doesn't appear to be an obvious pattern, and she strikes so quickly that she's gone when we arrive."

Haruka pursed her lips and a chill ran down her spine. "Except that she's focusing on Shinto shrines."

Michiru's eyes lit up and her concerned gaze met Haruka's. "Has she struck any shrines in Juuban?"

"Not yet."

"Do you think she's searching for Mars?"

"It's a possibility. Pluto said that she's a Senshi of fire. It might be her mission to eliminate her doppelganger."

"I think it's time we pay Rei a visit."

"Yes, let's." 

-------------------------------

'What are those fools doing?' Yuki's hard gaze peered over the book she'd been skimming.

Looking over to a rack filled with thin glossy books, Yuki observed her two… compatriots, Zeus and Aphrodite. The taller one, Zeus, was standing stoically to one side, hovering protectively over her much more attractive and curvaceous partner, Aphrodite. Yuki knew that Aphrodite was up to mischief again just by that strange glint in her fiery orange eyes. Throughout her life, Yuki had very few regrets (like the times she'd irrevocably damaged some of her more 'delicate' experiments), but now she was beginning to regret coming to this bookstore with these two.

Suddenly, like a lioness pouncing on a gazelle, Aphrodite captured Yuki's gaze and gave her a smoldering and sultry look. Immediately, a rush of heat filled Yuki and her heart beat faster. The book nearly fell out her shivering hands. She flushed all over and her knees began to buckle. The unexpected flood of erotic emotions were almost too much for her, and she threatened to fall like a heap of sexually charged goo willing to be taken by anyone who felt opportunistic.

'St-stop it, Aphrodite!' Yuki implored mentally, teetering on the brink of no return.

A small beguiling smirk formed on the redhead's face, making her look even more appealing. 'I would refrain from calling us fools in the future, or at least think more quietly, else next time I'll have you orgasm so hard you'll burst an artery, my dear Herm.'

With that, Aphrodite broke eye contact and immediately the sensation disappeared as quickly as it came. The reddish tint on her skin faded to its original pale grayish color. Adjusting herself and clearing her face of a few annoying strands of white hair, Yuki's features hardened back to their detached and aloof familiarity. Finally, she fixed her glasses upon her nose using her middle finger with purposeful meaning.

Zeus barely even acknowledged the exchange, her eyes scanning the store, alert to any potential threats. Nonplussed, Aphrodite just skipped off towards a girl that looked like animals had nested in her hair.

Narrowing her eyes, Yuki closed the book on particle fission disappointed, but not surprised; this world's technology was slightly less infantile than that of Canyon's Edge. Off to the side, she could overhear Aphrodite engaging that mousy girl.

"Why, hello there." The redhead purred.

"Uh, hello." The girl meekly replied.

"What's your name?"

"Yo-yomiko." She stuttered. The nervous twit must be shivering, what a weak minded fool. 

Yuki frowned. Aphrodite could have this effect on people with something as simple as her voice. It infuriated Yuki that she couldn't crack open that skull of hers to see what made that fascinating brain tick. It wasn't that she couldn't, oh no. Her eyes darted to the looming, muscular frame of Zeus. There would be consequences if she even attempted to harm a hair on Aphrodite's body. 

"Sachiko." 

Aphrodite twirled around from the mousy girl and gave Yuki the most radiant smile she could. It was so sweet it almost made Yuki visibly ill.

"We're done here, Sachiko." Yuki stated.

Aphrodite pouted. "Ah, you mean we're leaving already? Just as my friend Yomiko and I were warming up to these dusty old books. Weren't we, Yummy?"

The girl's heavy blush was obvious under her large, thick-rimmed glasses, and it spread down her neck all the way down to the high collar of her dress shirt. She looked downward as she hugged a thick volume closer to the brown vest that covered her chest. "Uh, yes."

"Oh she's so shy!" Aphrodite jumped behind the girl, pinching a cheek. "It's so cute!"

Yuki stifled a sigh at the redhead's antics. They really didn't need to be drawing attention to themselves.

Aphrodite smirked as her hands roamed. "And she's got some of the biggest boobies I've ever seen! They don't grow them like that in Canyon's Edge!" She exclaimed lewdly, juggling the masses under the girl's vest. The girl, oddly unperturbed at the molestation, moaned. 

She continued her machinations a little while longer and added, "Plus, you'll like this Herm, Yomiko loves books! Don't you Yummy!"

"Yes I do." The once shy Yomiko unabashedly groaned. "I love books!" 

As the pair continued their little show, Yuki chose to ignore them and instead eyed the racks beside Zeus, almost immediately zeroing in on a headline printed across one of the loose stacks of newspapers. 

'Shrine Arsonist still at large,' read the bold-faced type. Leaning slightly, Yuki examined the smaller text below. 'Police and residents are worried over a string of arsons at shrines across the immediate Tokyo area. It is inconclusive whether the incidents are related but residents are wary.'

'Fascinating.' Yuki continued to scan the column of text.

Straightening up, the white-haired woman pushed her glasses back up her nose and once again brushed back that annoying thread of hair. Moving past Aphrodite and a small crowd of male onlookers, Yuki made her way to the exit.

As she reached the door, Yuki glanced back towards Aphrodite and Zeus. 

'You two continue the search for the Sovereign of the Spirit.' Yuki broadcasted mentally. 'I have some… investigating to do.'

-------------------------------

"Man, Isisu, are you alright?" Ken asked as he and his tall, light-haired number-one model (well, Miss Meiou only trusted him with one) walked towards the shrine.

"Oh yes." The woman replied quietly and looked away. 

Ken blinked; was she blushing? Nah. 

"You're not sick or anything? I mean, we can reschedule this shoot for another day." 

In truth, he prayed she wasn't sick because he was sure his editor, Ichigo, would have his head. Then again, the woman looked like a wreck. Her eyes, typically clear and resolute, appeared cloudy and confused – scared, even. It was the most emotion she'd ever shown in all the years he'd known her, and it kind of freaked him out.

As if she'd offended him, Isisu hopped back, waving her arms. "Oh, no! I mean, you went to a lot of trouble setting up the location and getting the photographer, oh, and getting the clothes. I wouldn't want to cause any of those hard working people problems just because I'm not feeling like myself. Hehehehe."

Ken raised an eyebrow. Did Isisu just giggle? Now he truly was 100 freaked out.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

At that moment, Ken locked eyes with Isisu, and thought he saw something flash across them, a sort of recognition, maybe. Before he had a chance to interpret what it meant, Isisu turned away. 

"Uh, I'm just nervous." She said shyly, another blush surfacing on her tan skin. "I'll be fine, really."

Thoroughly confused, but pressed for time, Ken decided not to pursue the issue further.

"If you say so." Ken sighed wearily as they continued their journey to the shrine.

When they arrived, the shrine was crawling with crewmembers running about following the orders of the photographer. Bypassing the madness and chaos, Ken easily picked out Rei and her grandfather dressed in their ceremonial robes.

"Hihi!" Ken waved to the pair. The priest waved back, looking very happy at all the excitement going on around him while his granddaughter, though she did smile tightly, didn't appear as enthusiastic. 

Remembering how explosive the girl's temper was, Ken turned to the priest and bowed deeply. "Thank you very much for allowing us to use your shrine for our photo shoot at the last minute. It means a lot to us and the magazine."

The short, merry old man and offered a wry smile. "Oh it's nothing at all! Sometimes peace is nice, but every once in a while a little excitement helps break the mood. It's like I always say, if not for the distractions in life, there would be no need for meditation, and without meditation how can one reach nirvana!"

"That would explain why you keep falling asleep during meditations." Ken heard the raven-haired girl mumble, but then immediately added sweetly, (well maybe a little too sweetly for his taste), "and I especially want to thank you for talking my grandfather into doing this."

A predatory glint appeared in the priestess' eyes and Ken recoiled slightly. "Of course, I was totally, completely, and _vehemently_ against the idea at first, but since Grandpa is the priest in charge here, what else could I say?" 

"Ah." Was all Ken could manage, and he couldn't help but notice that her nails were tensed.

Boy, did those sharp claws look like they might hurt. 

Bowing and backing away, Ken stammered urgently. "Ah! I won't waste any more of your time! I need to attend to my model and see where the photographer is! Again, thank you very much! Now if you will excuse me!"

Ken gave one last fleeting glance back at the priest and his granddaughter, just to make sure no talons were descending upon him, and wandered the shrine grounds looking for his elusive photographer. The search proved difficult mostly because he and Isisu had arrived after the rest of the crew. Currently, said crew was busy scurrying about trying to set up lighting and prepping certain areas. And they also were too busy to take notice of Ken.

"Uh, excuse me." Ken started as a young man carrying a pair of large reflective panels walked by mechanically.

"I'm sorry, ma'am?" Ken trailed off as a nervous girl ran by, clutching some folders to her chest.

He sighed, slumping, his large dress shirt billowing out. Resuming his search, Ken made his way to a young man seated near one of the prepped areas, laying something out on a blanket. He appeared in deep contemplation. 

He hesitated as he took note of the black interlacing tattoos on the man's upper arms and neck. The jagged pattern appeared to criss-cross his arms and snake around his neck. It trailed up to his forehead, along a scalp of bright red hair that had been pulled tightly back. It had been put into a bun, allowing ruffles of red spikes to fan out behind his head. Overall, the young man looked a little out of place among the crew, most of whom did not have any visible tattoos, much less large intricate and loud ones like this young man's.

Unfortunately, he was also the only person not busy rushing about. Having little choice, Ken, with great trepidation, stood over the tattooed man and cleared his throat.

The man slapped his hands on his crossed legs and glared up. Ken fought the urge to take flight and smiled weakly.

"Uh, I'm sorry. My name is Ken Ishida." Sometimes telling people his name helped. He hoped it would help him this time. "I'm looking for a man named Renji. He's the photographer on this shoot and I can't find him anywhere."

The tattooed man frowned. "I AM the photographer, you moron! I'm Renji!"

Ken just stared at him.

His red spiky locks bristled. "I was the apprentice of the famed Saki Itabashi."

Ken wanted to raise an eyebrow at the man, but the name did ring a bell. "Oh, yeah, Isisu worked with her some days back."

"Such disrespect." Renji grumbled, collecting his equipment from the blanket. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to touch base with you." Ken put on his best professional smile and got right down to business. "Your model for this shoot is a woman named Isisu Saito."

Renji rubbed his chin. "The leggy number that strolled in here a few minutes ago? Yeah, I already met her. I had her change into her first outfit a while ago."

"Ah." Ken pursed his lips. "I have been given explicit instructions by Miss Meiou herself that she is to be treated with upmost respect."

Renji made a face. "Who's Meiou?"

"Setsuna Meiou." Ken said, aghast. "She owns the magazine."

"Whatever." Renji stood, raising a hand. "I don't care who she is. All I care about is getting the shoot done, collecting my paycheck, and getting home in time for my hot date tonight."

At that Renji wiggled his eyebrows, which had an interesting effect on the tattoos along his hairline. 

Feeling slightly offended (and admittedly a little jealous), Ken made a sour expression. "Mr. Renji, with all due respect, please behave. We're all professionals here and representatives of the Meiou Corporation. Please refrain from making any more lewd comments."

"Whatever, dude." The redhead snorted as he adjusted the lens on his camera. "Anyway, your leggy number is ready."

Ken looked up and saw Isisu approach, self-consciously tugging on the clothes that hugged her slim body. He couldn't understand it; why was she so nervous? She'd done this many times before in skimpier outfits than this without blinking an eye.

"Is there something wrong, Isisu?" Ken whispered into her ear.

"No!" Isisu squeaked, backing away like he was on fire or something. "I'm, uh, I'm kinda nervous is all."

Giving her his most reassuring smile, one that he felt he didn't use often enough; Ken tentatively placed a hand on her shoulder. He cringed when she flinched. Deciding discretion was the better part of valor, Ken gave her some space and tried to suppress the urge to fawn over her when she looked up at him, doe-eyed.

"Don't worry," he soothed, "You'll do fine. Just relax and follow Mr. Renji's directions and everything will be just peachy!"

"God, you sound so gay." Ken frowned and narrowed his eyes at the photographer's comment.

Gritting his teeth, Ken counted to ten and then exhaled very, very deeply. "Anyway, Isisu, don't be nervous. I'll be here and I'll make sure nothing bad happens to you, okay?"

Like a small child prior to her first piano recital, Isisu let what he had said soak in and then a small tentative smile formed on her lips. The breath hitched in Ken's throat when she did, and for a moment he thought the world had stopped on its axis, sending everything on its surface spinning out into space. Awed seemed like such a terribly inadequate word at the moment.

Now a blush rose on Ken's cheeks and he made a hasty exit. "Ahem, well, uh, good luck, Isisu."

Isisu's smile grew and she happily nodded. Ken staggered away to vanish behind the scenes, his knees suddenly as sturdy as tapioca balls.

Once all of the people were in place, the shoot began in earnest. Ken watched with interest from afar. Things were going smoothly until Renji began barking orders to Isisu when her poses were not to his liking. Then it went downhill from there. Already jittery, the increasing frustration of the photographer made Isisu even stiffer, and the distress was evident on her face. 

"Argh!" Renji roared after yet another ruined picture. "You've got to be the worst model ever!" 

Seeing his charge cower as the redhead stomped about, ranting and cursing at her, prompted Ken to take action.

"Mr. Renji!" Ken spoke in loudest, meanest voice he could.

The glowering photographer pinned him with a withering stare. "What!"

A chill of fear ran up Ken's spine; however he would soldier on, for Isisu's sake! "I, uh, already told you that you are to be professional with Isisu!"

"I would be if she was a professional!" Renji bellowed, the veins in his forehead doing weird things to his tattoos. "There are amateurs more qualified than her! She might have a nice face, great legs, and a fine ass, but she is not model material!"

Ken firmed his lips and narrowed his eyes once again. "You, good sir, have gone over the line! You will apologize to Isisu!"

"The hell I will!"

"Then you leave me with little choice!"

"What are you going to do? Sic 'Miss Meiou's' death brigade on me?"

Suddenly an explosion brought their argument to an abrupt halt.

"That didn't sound good." Ken gulped. 

---------------------------------------

Rei could have gone without all the excitement around the shrine. She was already on edge from the meeting Luna had called a few days ago about being on guard because 'something was going to happen', as she put it vaguely. Of course, when pressed for more details, the little talking black cat wouldn't breathe another word, saying that she needed to confirm a few things first before telling them everything she knew.

On top of that, those attacks on the shrines had her pretty nervous. Though she was a seasoned Sailor Senshi and she was pretty sure she could fend off an assault by a small battalion by herself, Luna's warning made her wonder about the nature of these attacks. Had another great evil found its way here? Had another one of their past enemies returned? 

Doing fire readings did her little good, and offered no clues as to what was going on. It was like the spirits were hesitant to give her answers. She never had experienced that before. What would make the spirits from beyond afraid?

Of course, what had raised her hackles the most were the daily visits from Michiru and the blonde heartbreaker, Haruka. That blonde woman always knew which buttons to push on her, and did it with that flirty smirk of hers. God, it was a good thing Yuuichirou had gone out of town to visit with relatives this week, or she wouldn't have heard the end of it. Sometimes she wondered if Haruka did that just to see her squirm. Aside from that, though, it bothered her that they always had some reason to drop by the shrine. They never had before unless for official Senshi business, and it was another thing that made her cautious.

Thus, her grandfather's timing couldn't have been any worse when he allowed that worm, Ken Ishida, to do a photo shoot on the shrine grounds. Now the place was an utter madhouse, with people running about wildly, asking Grandpa about what was where and where was what.

And then Ishida had the audacity to apologize with that fake, flighty smile of his after pulling rank on her by convincing Grandpa to consent to this. She had been particularly proud of herself for not clawing out his eyes. 

So with all the activity going on at the shrine, Rei just wanted to get away and collect her thoughts. Something major was going down, and she needed to get to the bottom of it. 

As Rei made her way back to the shrine, she caught the tall woman staring at her. The way she was looking at her made her feel uneasy, like she was being evaluated or something. The woman didn't seem at all hostile, however that look made her feel like there was a judgment being made against her. 

Knowing that if she lingered around, she wouldn't be able to bite her tongue around the woman, whom she discovered was named Isisu, Rei decided to attempt to do her chores and maybe do another fire reading. She was about to settle down in front of the sacred fire when her senses went wild, and then an explosion shook the wooden structure.

Rei immediately jumped into action and bounded out onto the grounds, her henshin stick in hand. Years of experience had taught her that when she heard things like explosions or screaming people, it usually meant it was a job for the Sailor Senshi.

"Mars Crystal Power, Make Up!" 

The priestess didn't stay still as rings of fire wrapped around her body to form her Senshi uniform. She had been fortunate no one was around the shrine building, or else she would have given them quite a show. Of course, it would have been the last thing they'd ever see before she'd incinerate them.

As the last rings of flames dispersed to reveal her completed uniform, Rei wasted no time taking one large leap after another. A fog of black smoke quickly enveloped her, making her eyes water and nose itch. Not far ahead, she could see some of the people from the photo shoot trapped by the raging fire. It appeared that two people were trying to drag a third unconscious person to safety.

"Sailor Mars!" Despite the dire situation, Rei had to keep herself from smirking when Ken ran up to her. "Thank goodness you're here!" 

"Are you okay?"

Ken blinked. "Uh, yes." 

Rei immediately tuned out the blond man and assessed the situation. Splayed out on the ground was a large redheaded man with a gnarled knot on his tattooed forehead. Nearby was a large branch that she assumed had knocked him out. Kneeling next to him was that woman, Isisu, who now was giving her a cold, hard glare. The glare confused Rei, but she pushed that to the back of her mind, first she needed to get them to safety.

"You, uh, think you could help me pick him up?" She asked.

Isisu narrowed her eyes. "Your wish is my command, Sailor Mars."

She could hear Ken gasp. "Isisu! Come on, she's here to help us."

"Of course she is." Isisu answered, all the while keeping her hard red gaze on Rei.

It was unsettling how Isisu's eyes seemed to penetrate the priestess, almost as if the pale-blue haired woman knew Rei Hino was Sailor Mars. It was like Isisu, who was earlier judging her, now was condemning Sailor Mars. More explosions, closer this time, prodded the priestess into action. She'd revisit this issue later.

They had just dragged the limp man out of the fiery den of trees when another explosion sent debris everywhere. Hastily lowering the man to the ground, Rei spun around. She had to put a stop to this before the shrine and the grounds around it were nothing but a patch of scorched earth.

As she did so, Rei could see a woman emerge from the wall of flames. Fallout from the fire caused the black cloak around the woman to dance about, giving Rei a view of the dark bodice underneath. Red cords formed a triple-looped pattern over her chest, covering a sailor collar and supporting the bodice. A gust of wind also ruffled her dark brown bangs, revealing a dully-glittering tiara.

A feeling of dread fell over Rei as she realized this was the big something that Luna was warning her about. 

The mysterious woman stalked towards her, her dark, wild eyes sizing her up as well. When they came upon her uniform, she grinned widely.

"So you're the one the spirits have been crying to." She declared, raising her arms. "I should have known they would seek out the High Priestess of Mars."

Rei gasped and threw her hands up, ready to attack. "Who are you? Are you another Senshi? Or are you another Phage?"

"A Phage?" The woman snorted, and then scowled. "I'm hardly anyone's lackey! Can't you see how the spirits flee me? Or are your powers so weak that you can't sense it?"

Cautiously, Rei scanned the area but couldn't see anything definitive with the glare from the fire. She wasn't sure what she should be looking for and felt somewhat ridiculous for even trying.

"You can't see them, can't you?" The woman shook her head and relaxed her stance. "You hardly seem worth the fight."

Her pride wounded, Rei let her temper get the better of her. "What do you mean, I'm not worth the fight?"

A predatory grin spread on the woman's face and without another word, she rushed forward. Suddenly Rei's world exploded in pain as she received a kick to her abdomen that stole her breath, and a punch to her cheek that sent her tumbling end over end until a tree stopped her momentum. 

Dazed, Rei lifted herself to her feet just as this… this Senshi gripped her long raven locks and yanked. The woman peered at her and smirked.

"I said you weren't worth the fight, but I didn't say anything about not killing you." The woman rasped in excitement and yanked her away from the tree while flickers of a flame materialized in her hand. 

"Oh I'm definitely worth the fight." Rei gritted her teeth. The pain was intense, but she refused to be defeated. She threw up both hands on either side of the woman's head and shouted her attack spell. "BURNING MANDALA!" 

The woman shrieked, letting go of Rei's mane. Then she was hopping around like mad, trying to extinguish her torched bangs. With her opponent distracted, Rei gave the Senshi a few jabs and a swift kick to the solar plexus. She was a firm believer in karma.

Stumbling about for a moment, the mysterious Fire Senshi regained her footing and roared in anger. "I am Sailor Ares, and I'm going to fucking tear you apart! CHAOS FLAME!"

Then the air around the woman ignited.

---------------------------------------

Haruka was leaping like she skirting on the wind; so much so that Michiru had trouble keeping up. They both were making their way to Rei's shrine to make their casual daily visit when they heard an explosion and saw the resulting fireball. Neither wasted any time and immediately (and discreetly) transformed, thoroughly convinced their target had struck.

The dark wisps of smoke were definitely from Rei's shrine and Haruka's heart leapt into her throat. At each previous attack, the casualties had only been strange faces; innocent faces, sadly, but strangers. Now there was a possibility that one of her friends would be among those faces, and it made Haruka's blood run cold.

"Uranus!" Michiru's call made her realize that her green-haired companion had caught up to her. "What's our ETA?"

Turning her head as she leapt to the next tree branch, Haruka replied. "I would say about-" 

A stray branch cut off the rest of her sentence, grabbing her ankle. Hissing from the unexpected pain, Haruka gracefully landed on the grass below the tree. 

Michiru was next to her in a second, concerned. "Are you okay, Haruka?"

Grabbing her ankle, the blonde woman gave an experimental squeeze and felt a tinge of pain, but it wasn't anything serious. However, there no telling how it would affect her speed. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

"Who did that?"

Haruka noticed they were in a rather secluded area near the shrine, and she noticed the smoke from the fire was growing thick around them. 

"I don't know, but we need to hurry before Ares destroys the Hikawa Shrine."

"Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune!" A voice boomed behind the pair.

The sounds of rustling leaves and the groan of wood caught their attention. Haruka watched, amazed, as several trees uprooted themselves and lurched forward surrounding the pair.

"We cannot permit you to pass!" The voices of the trees rumbled in unison.

Shaking her head, Haruka muttered. "We don't have time for this."

"You will and you shall let us pass!" Michiru shouted back to the trees, getting in position to defend herself.

"Then you leave us with no other option." They boomed.

Haruka followed Michiru's lead and evaded the swing of a large limb. Jumping back, Haruka decided it was time to strike back. Raising her palm into the air, she gathered the winds together into a dense, spiraling ball.

"World Shaking!" 

Clenching her fist, Haruka slammed her hand into the ground, sending the ball screaming its way to one of the trees. The sentient lumber bent under the impact and then fell away, motionless. Unfortunately, her victory was shorted lived as another tree took its place.

"This is going to get us nowhere!" She shouted to Michiru, who was dodging and twisting, avoiding the striking branches.

"I concur."

"Trees just don't suddenly come to life." Haruka reasoned to her partner, in a tone more casual than she was feeling at the moment. "Someone's behind this! We stop them, we stop the trees!" 

Michiru exchanged a look with Haruka and nodded. "Got it! Do me a favor and keep me covered. This will only take a moment."

Both Sailor Senshi put some distance between themselves and the trees. Once situated, Haruka stood guard as Michiru summoned an oval shaped hand mirror. 

"Submarine Reflection!" At her command, the mirror glowed. Michiru studied the surface before she pointed to a place just over the blonde's shoulder. "Over there!"

That was all Haruka needed to know - she charged up another attack.

"World Shaking!"

Haruka watched as the twisting ball closed in on its target and struck. Instantly, the heavy smoke that choked the air lifted slightly, revealing a woman with long dark hair that nearly covered her body like a thick coat. The woman was oddly composed, calmly smoking from a long pipe and paying the pair little attention. Before giving the stranger another thought, Haruka glanced over her shoulder to make sure the trees had stopped. Once sure she couldn't see any movement from them, she regarded their new threat.

"I had intended only to distract and maybe maim you." The woman said, taking a long, leisurely drag from her pipe. "But you had to go and break my spell. Pity, now I'm afraid I will have to resort to the removal of minor appendages to insure you don't interrupt."

The sound of her voice made Haruka's hair stand on end. Her senses were going haywire, warning her she was in grave danger. This woman just wasn't some ordinary lackey or youma. She wasn't even a demon. This creature oozed an amount of power she'd only encountered on very rare occasions. 

"We need to be very careful, Neptune." She murmured.

"I know." Her green-haired companion replied.

Sensing the need to take action, Haruka made the first move before the woman could make any moves against them.

"World Shaking!" Another ball rumbled towards the mysterious woman.

With a flick of her wrist, the woman transformed her smoking pipe into a folded fan and batted Haruka's ball away.

Haruka had anticipated as much from their new opponent and had summoned her scimitar, the Space Sword, with every intention of taking her off guard. Unfortunately, a solid wall of dirt burst from the ground and blocked her strike. An instant later, the wall lowered, her opponent waiting behind it with two fingers extended. With a snap of those fingers, the air around Haruka exploded into flames. She had little time to scream as she felt her body launched into the sky and then painfully skipping along the grass.

"Haruka!" She heard Michiru exclaim. 

In the background, she could hear the woman's bland voice. "Very foolish, Sailor Uranus. I am the Demon Harutaki. Attacks such as those will not harm my person."

Though it felt like a million needles were poking every inch of her exposed skin, Haruka sat up, only to witness Michiru charge.

"Michiru!"

In the blink of an eye, a crackling whip of electricity materialized in Harutaki's hand. Michiru had no chance of escaping as it snapped towards her and wrapped around her waist. She gave a startled yelp and her body twitched and flopped around like a fish out of water. 

"Stop this now!" Haruka bellowed, and swung her sword, calling out another attack. "Space Sword Blaster!"

An arc of energy flew from the glowing sword as Haruka put all she had into her swing. The arc sped towards Harutaki, splitting the earth like a boat through calm water. The Demon, on the other hand, stood still, spinning her whip into a spiraling circle.

Just as the arc reached her, the crackling, electric spiraling circle solidified into a grey plate and the attack harmlessly ricocheted off it. Uranus gaped at the display.

The plate remained suspended in the air and shrank until Harutaki took it in one of her pale hands, transforming it back into the long pipe. She'd expected there would be a smug smile firmly on the woman's face, but Haruka found she still wore the same disinterested expression she had when they began this battle.

'This isn't a battle.' Haruka thought. 'This is a lesson in pain.'

Without warning, a heavy tree branch slammed into her back, throwing her down into the dirt face first. Twisting her head, the blonde could see Michiru struggling to free her hands from the grip of another tree. She could hear the grass rustle as footsteps just out of her sight came towards her.

"We still have some time to waste." Harutaki announced like she was hosting a business meeting. "Where should I start? An arm? A hand? Perhaps a finger or two? Surely you don't need all ten fingers, do you?"

Even using all her strength, Haruka couldn't free herself from the tree limb now burrowing her deeper into the soft ground. Not one to give up the fight, she stubbornly closed her fist when she felt Harutaki's deathly pale slim fingers grab her wrist. However, with a squeeze, Haruka's fingers involuntarily shot out and strained stiffly. Turning briefly towards her restrained hand, she could see the dark-haired Demon regarding her fingers, toying with a katana.

"I think I'll start with the index finger and work my way up from there."

"NO!" Haruka cringed at Michiru's scream and turned her way. 

When she did, she noticed the large ball of water gathering in her bound hands. "DEEP SUBMERGE!"

For once, the attack must have taken her by surprise because the ball of water splashed everywhere, soaking both Haruka and Harutaki. Suddenly the pressure on her back relaxed and Haruka wasted no time in jumping to safety. She flexed the hand that had been under the woman's control a moment ago and noticed, fascinated, that the woman had remained unmoved from her position. 

Soon, Michiru joined her, waiting for the Demon's next attack. As they waited, Haruka noted that the air around them was clearing up considerably; she could make out the area just beyond the trees.

"What is she waiting for?" Michiru asked under her breath.

Wiping an errant drop of water from her face, Haruka shrugged. "I have no idea. She seemed intent on chopping off my fingers. I'm surprised she let me go."

"You think it was the attack?"

"Want to give it another try?"

"My pleasure."

With a start, the soaking woman shot up, nearly tripping over her own feet, obviously disoriented. Her breathing was ragged and deep. Her red eyes were wide, confused, but she refused to express it any further than that. Then her crimson gaze darted to the two Senshi, and she tensed.

That had been enough for Michiru. "DEEP-"

Harutaki's eyes widened even further as more water gathered in Michiru's hands. The woman reacted immediately, stretching out one of her hands away from them, toward a place where the smoke thickened.

Instinctively, Haruka had her Space Sword ready for another offensive from Harutaki, but was stunned when the woman reached into the swirling smoke and slipped into it. 

"-SUBMERGE!" Michiru finished, launching another ball of water.

However, the last wisps of Harutaki's dark hair had disappeared into the smoky portal, as the ball zipped past.

The pair paused and exchanged a look. Peering into Michiru's beautiful emerald eyes, Haruka finally spoke, almost in a smooth purr. "So I assume your love for my fingers is what won the day?"

Michiru narrowed those emerald orbs and pursed her lips. "We don't have time for this, Haruka. We've got to help Mars!"

In stiffened body language that Haruka knew meant business, Sailor Neptune beckoned the blonde to follow her towards the billowing columns of smoke just past the cover of the trees.

Haruka didn't waste another moment, and raced off like a feather in the wind.

----------------------------------

Isisu tried her best to push back those old painful memories which still felt fresh, but the realization that the priestess was the Princess of Mars only burst open those gates, allowing the bitterness and resentment to settle in. 

Surprisingly, the Princess didn't recognize her, and Isisu figured that perhaps the Martian had forgotten her and probably didn't have memories of her last incarnation. Cyrus had mentioned that some of the stronger Star Seeds, especially those of Sailor Senshi, could retain memories of past lives.

'Oh, Cyrus.' She thought, forlorn. 'Did you meet the same fate as the rest of Queen Serenity's Court? Will you remember me when we meet again?' 

Those thoughts flitted through her mind while she endured the photo shoot with that rude redheaded photographer. She had literally swooned when Ken swooped in and came to her rescue. He looked so much like Cyrus at that moment, standing so tall and brave. Then it hit her; maybe Ken was Cyrus' reincarnation.

Then came the explosion. "That didn't sound good." 

Isisu frowned and doubt began to creep in. This wasn't the Cyrus she remembered. Her Cyrus would have jumped into action and helped her fend off whatever evil being was causing all this destruction. Of course, she herself would have jumped into action immediately, (which was part of the reason why she knocked out the photographer when he was distracted), but Ken didn't. Instead he fawned over that damn Sailor Mars like a lost puppy when she graced them with her appearance. Her smugness towards them, Ken especially, made Isisu's blood boil.

So Isisu just watched as this Sailor Ares and Sailor Mars beat the living daylights out of each other. For a while she found it rather cathartic. However, even though Mars was putting up one heck of a fight, she was definitely losing. There was something about this evil Senshi that gave her greater power. Her senses could definitely feel it.

Isisu became alarmed when Ares tossed Mars into the shrine, as did Ken.

"Sailor Mars!" He shouted, and Isisu had to restrain him from rushing towards the building. The blond turned, astonished and flustered. "Isisu, what are you doing? I've got to help Sailor Mars somehow!"

That did it. Isisu narrowed her eyes, a fire as bright and as intense as the blaze around them burning in them. Ken instantly recoiled when he saw that fire, his ardor cooled. Without any hesitation, not a care in the world that Ken would know her secret, Isisu decided she could no longer stand for this. Even though she resented Serenity for making her suffer for over a thousand years alone in the coldness of open space, she couldn't allow a fellow Senshi to be killed. Her conscience wouldn't permit it, anyway.

Reaching into the purse she had brought with her, she took out the small piece of smooth green stone. She threw the Jade Crescent into the air.

"Dimension Soul Charge!"

Unlike the first time she had transformed in her bedroom a few nights ago, Isisu waited impatiently for the fog that wrapped around her form to materialize into her uniform. Irritated, she snatched the World Spear as it expanded from the Jade Crescent, and marched over to the battle.

"Isisu?" She sighed, and only turned her head to the gaping blond man.

"What, Ken?" 

Through blowing strands of pale-blue hair, she could see Ken open his mouth and then close it several times. Isisu closed her eyes. She didn't have time for this. She'd take care of this later.

Another blast of flames erupted from the shrine and a badly singed and beaten Mars skidded to a stop at her feet. She shifted her red gaze down to the injured Senshi and then to the angry one charging at her, several spears of flame twirling around her at her command.

Ares didn't acknowledge her presence, and didn't bother to alter her attack or approach. 

'Does she have any sophisticated technique at all?' Isisu mused as she quickly recalled her strict training at the hands of Setsuna's mother. Calmly, she lifted her staff and summoned her defense spell.

"Spatial Shield!" A weird tingling crawled up her skin as she felt the fabric of space around the tip of the spear condense and concentrate to form an invisible shield. She smiled slightly; she had forgotten how good that felt.

"Ugh!" The psychotic dark-haired Senshi grunted as her body collided with the barrier.

Feeling somewhat satisfied, Isisu looked down at her opponent, who was sitting in the dirt and glaring daggers at her. That passed quickly when a dull ache blossomed in her forehead, severely distracting her.

"Who the fuck are you?" Ares growled.

"I am Sailor Dis. The Guardian of the World Gate." She answered evenly as the dull ache spread. What was going on?

"I don't care who the hell you are." Ares rose and dusted the dirt from her long skirt and bandages. She tensed her hands, igniting a pair of fireballs above her palms. "You're so fucking dead."

Isisu ignored the now agonizing pain in her brain and prepared for another assault. Running through a catalog of memories, she recalled another spell.

"Weight of the Worlds!" With an out-stretched hand she commanded the gravity around Ares to increase.

"Urk!" Ares appeared to nearly bite her tongue off as the flames in her hands extinguished. However, the woman resisted the force pulling her down. "I. Will. Get. You."

This wasn't good, Isisu thought as she perspired profusely. With Ares resisting, she could feel her hold on the spell waning. She couldn't understand why she felt so weak.

_"You call yourself a Guardian!" _Queen Metallia's screeching voice had taunted during Isisu's foolish attempt to destroy the Dark Kingdom alone. _"You're too weak to be a Guardian!" _

Isisu cringed at that memory. An instant later she felt something in her snap, and all of her power drained away. She couldn't recall much else after that until her trial in front of Serenity's tribunal. It had been so painful to endure their accusing stares, and the pain from that memory only added to the physical throbbing throughout her body.

Then she remembered how badly she'd wanted the pain to just go away. As they encased her in the ice, she somehow had been able to will it away. Just that thought made something in her shift, like she was pushing hard on a large, heavy door. Then she felt it slide, and suddenly a little bit of the pain went away. She mentally gave another shove, and more pain drained from her body.

'That's it.' Now she pushed with all her might; she wanted this pain vanquished completely. Once the pain was gone then she could deal with all these unsettling memories.

Finally, something inside her cracked, and a strange sensation washed over her. It was neither bad nor good, just a pressure that was releasing from her forehead.

As soon as the sensation passed, Isisu felt nothing aside from the clothes on her body and the smooth jade stone she now held in her hands.

'It appears I have reverted back.' She observed. 'This is unfortunate as well as unexpected.'

Isisu lifted her gaze as she heard Ares chuckling. The evil Senshi had reignited the flames in her palms and now wore a predatory grin, much like that of a jackal. 

"It looks like your luck has just run out, Guardian." She continued, chuckling; then her eyes widened in surprise.

"Amaunet's Breath!" Isisu turned and immediately recognized the blond man standing beside her, his sword sending his attack towards her opponent.

"Cyrus." She whispered.

Meanwhile, Ares barely had a moment to raise her arms in defense before the three arcs of energy plowed into her. When it was done, three deep gouges had been carved into the dirt in front of her rescuer.

"Are you all right, Isisu?" The woman just stood there as she gathered her thoughts.

"I feel a little winded and tired, but otherwise I am in good health." She said dryly.

Cyrus raised an eyebrow and appeared to want to say something when Ares burst back onto the scene. 

"I love this!" Ares sputtered, her eyes wide and crazed. "The more of you keep appearing, the more destruction we can orchestrate together! Let the chaos commence! CHAOS-"

"Heart of Ice!"

Ares' mouth hung open and her body froze as ice crawled up her legs. A woman in a black uniform similar to hers appeared beside the Fire Senshi. She wiped away a strand of her white hair smoothing it back with the rest tied tightly behind her head. 

She turned to the psychotic Senshi. "I see you've stirred things up here, Ares." The dull, pale skin of the woman glowed in the raging fire's light as she placed a gloved hand on Ares' shoulder. "However, we can't let you go and kill yourself in some illogical rampage to satisfy those homicidal urges of yours."

Cyrus, his sword tensed and ready to fight, slowly approached the pair. "Who are you Senshi and where do you come from?"

Her steely grey eyes studied them for a moment, as if calculating their strengths. Then she answered. "I am Sailor Hermes, the Ice Queen, and I am a member of the Dark Senshi. That is all I will tell you, but rest assured that you will get better acquainted with the rest of us in the near future. Portal open."

At Hermes' command, a darkened mirror materialized next to the pair of Dark Senshi. Hermes pushed her partner none too gently through the reflective surface, which rippled as the icy statue disappeared within. Cyrus leapt at the pale woman, but she too disappeared through the rippling surface, and the mirror faded from existence.

"Damn it!" He cursed, swinging his sword at where the mirror had been. "This isn't good. I didn't recognize her Star Seed."

"Um." Isisu turned towards the meek voice and saw Ken, face bloodless, hand raised. "Would anyone be willing to explain to me what just happened?"

'This is most unfortunate.' Isisu commented mentally, stealing a glance at Cyrus. 

--------------------------------------------------

"Ugh, I don't know how you can tolerate these cram schools, Umino." Naru made a face as she and her boyfriend made their way to her house. "Weekends are meant for lounging and having fun. Not more school. That's what weekdays are for."

Umino chuckled, which had the effect of unsettling his large glasses. Immediately, he adjusted them, and nearly tripped over a rock in the process. Naru groaned inwardly. It looked like she was going to have to drag him to the eye doctor and order to him to replace those coke bottles on his face. Why he insisted on keeping them all these years was beyond her; it was obvious he needed new ones. Maybe this time he'd get contacts.

Naru's heart fluttered at the thought of seeing Umino's face unblemished by his glasses. He had such beautiful eyes. She especially loved looking into them when they…

The redhead blushed furiously and eagerly made plans. They had nothing going on next Tuesday. Then they could go to that nice restaurant-

"What's that?" Umino's question stirred Naru from her plans.

Focusing on the brown-haired boy next to her, she followed his finger up towards the darkening sky. Something flickered and then fell to the ground just behind some trees. The mysterious object landed in a peaceful and quiet explosion of light. 

Both of their mouths hung open for a moment, and Naru exchanged a quick glance with Umino. She grinned at his anxiety; that boy never did have a sense of adventure. Oh well, half the fun was dragging him with her when there was something too irresistible for her curiosity to ignore.

She grabbed his hand. "Come on, scaredycat!"

"Wait, Naru," Umino protested vocally, but he didn't resist her pulling. "Don't you think this is a bad idea when you consider everything that's happened to us over the years?"

Not breaking her stride or her grip, Naru shot back. "Bah, nothing has happened to us in the last few years, and anyway, nothing bad is going to happen this time."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I don't know, after having so much happen, I kinda got a sixth sense for these things."

"Yeah, right." Naru heard her boyfriend mutter, and frowned. Oooo, she was going to make him pay later. 

They made the rest of the journey in silence until they came upon the site where the light landed. Carefully, the pair stepped into the brush and gingerly pulled away branches.

"Doesn't look like anything landed here." Umino murmured, studying the surrounding vegetation. "There's no sign of a crater or any kind of fallout."

"Oh my goodness!" Naru gasped, covering her mouth.

"This doesn't make any sense!" Umino exclaimed as he peered down at the ground.

Naru couldn't believe it, but there at their feet was a very young and very naked girl, curled up comfortably, who was sound asleep. Quickly, she took care of the first order of business.

"Umino! Cover your eyes and give me your jacket!"

"Ack!" Naru's expression soured at her boyfriend's delayed reaction. Once he had his back to them, jacket extended like an olive branch, he spoke again. "What are we going to do with her?"

"I guess," Naru covered the slumbering girl and gently moved aside some of her pale blue hair, "we take her to my house and call the police."

-End of Chapter 3-

Author's Note:

Well another chapter in the bag. I really want to thank Setsu-P for inspiring and motivating me to get this one out the door so quickly. She's drawn up some mean fanart for this project and it shouldn't be missed. She has been constructing a website just for this story filled with drawings of various characters. Once it's finished, I'll include it here.

And a big hello to the Tower of Time forum folks (Dragon Rhapsody and Carla most especially) for their kind words on what I've posted so far of this story. 

So onto the next chapter where the Inner Senshi finally meet the Dimension Guardian, Setsuna gets bitched out, Ares makes a startling discovery, and Naru and Umino discover that maybe being minor characters wasn't such a bad thing.

Until next time, folks! 

Disclaimer:

Sailor Moon is owned by Naoko Takeuchi.

All original characters are owned and copyrighted by Setsu-P (c) 2008.

They are being used with owner's expressed permission.

Bastion

Rev 03/08


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